JUST days after Egypt won a record-breaking sixth Africa Cup of Nations, a new generation of the country's young footballers has received a special soccer gift from Suffolk.

JUST days after Egypt won a record-breaking sixth Africa Cup of Nations, a new generation of the country's young footballers has received a special soccer gift from Suffolk.

The children have received more than hundred new football boots - recovered from a villain.

Suffolk trading standards officers seized the counterfeit Adidas football boots during a raid in Felixstowe.

They were found at the home of Richard Higgins, 24, in High Road West. He pleaded guilty to 11 charges under the Trade Marks Act and was sentenced by magistrates on September 10 last year to nine months' suspended sentence and 240 hours community service for selling the fake boots on Ebay.

Following the court case, county council officers were left with the bags of fake boots to dispose of.

They decided to give the 150 football boots to children's charity Little Stars, which provides help by donating day-to-day essentials such as food parcels, clothing and medicine to abandoned orphaned, disabled and disadvantaged children in Luxor, Egypt.

Joanna Spicer, portfolio holder for public protection, said: “We have a duty to dispose of fake goods in a responsible, legal and environmentally sound way and I am delighted that we have found a good home for these football boots.

“I hope that the children in Luxor will enjoy using them.

“Who knows, the gift of these boots may just be the chance for these children to pursue their footballing dream and follow in the footsteps of the cup-winning Egyptian team.”

Connie Tindale, from Little Stars, said: “Many of the youths these boots will be given to do not even have proper shoes so the boots will be prized possessions.

“Egypt Air has agreed to waive their freight charges in taking the boots to Luxor and we cannot thank them or Suffolk Trading Standards enough for their generosity. This is a red letter day for Little Stars.”