A 24-YEAR-OLD Felixstowe man is today beginning 240-hours community service after being caught selling fake adidas football bootsRichard Higgins was also sentenced to a nine-month suspended prison sentence by Ipswich magistrates.

A 24-YEAR-OLD Felixstowe man is today beginning 240-hours community service after being caught selling fake adidas football boots

Richard Higgins was also sentenced to a nine-month suspended prison sentence by Ipswich magistrates.

The court heard Higgins, of High Road West, Felixstowe, sold around 50 pairs of fake football boots a month over a year-long period.

The case, brought by Suffolk County Council's trading standards department, came to light after complaints about the quality of the boots.

Undercover officers, posing as shoppers, then bought some boots from Higgins on Ebay which then led to a raid on his home on December 12 last year where his remaining stock was seized.

Higgins, who admitted regularly buying the stock from China, pleaded guilty to selling the fake adidas F50+ football boots on claiming that he thought they were seconds rather than fakes.

SCC portfolio holder for public protection, Joanna Spicer said: “I am pleased that the magistrates have viewed this case seriously and the sentence reflects this.

“It is all too easy to assume that this is a victimless crime, but it is not. Local counterfeiters defraud legitimate companies, dupe consumers and damage the local economy.

“This sort of investigation is the bread and butter work of our trading standards department, however, we want to drive these crimes out of Suffolk for good.

“To do this, as well as legal action from trading standards officers, we need to change the attitude of people who chose to buy these goods. Remember, if you buy fake goods it's a double whammy - you have no protection as a consumer and you are contributing to the criminal economy. "

Higgins, had pleaded guilty to eleven charges under Section 92 (1c) Trade Marks Act 1994 on August 20 at South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court.