WE don’t take any pleasure in removing bargains from the public but everyone needs to understand, this practice is putting up your prices and affecting how much you get to spend on essentials,” warns Sergeant Christian Denning, of the Essex Police Business Crime Team.

Buying stolen or counterfeit goods could cause you, your family or your customers serious harm, he says.

Officers from the team are visiting car boot sales and markets across the county on the look-out for vendors selling stolen or counterfeit goods.

Not only is this illegal, buyers may get more than they bargained for, says Sergeant Christian Denning.

“What might seem like a great deal can come with serious risks,” he explains.

“Buyers really have no idea of the quality of what they are purchasing.

“Stolen goods may be past their best-before date and, while this is especially dangerous with food, products such as suncream can also degrade over time and no longer offer proper protection.

“Electrical items may be faulty, posing serious risks to people or property, and they won’t come with guarantees or warranties.

“Buying stolen goods harms legitimate businesses and it could also leave you at risk of a criminal record, while helping to fund organised crime and other illegal activity.”

Counterfeit goods come with the same risks, Christian adds.

In the past month, business crime officers have visited various markets and car boot sales across Essex, talking to stallholders, vendors, supervisors and security staff to make them aware of the law.

Where they have questions, they will ask sellers to produce receipts or other means to verify legitimate ownership.

While most people have been found to be selling goods legally, on one visit to a site in south Essex earlier this month, officers identified a stall laden with suspected stolen goods where the seller was unable to provide invoices or proof of purchase.

They seized 505 items, total value around £2,500 – including 202 tubes of toothpaste; 28 chocolate bars; 50 beauty items such as moisturisers and oils; 38 packs of washing powder/pods; and 30 packs of dishwasher tablets.

These have been placed into police storage and the seller has 28 days to provide receipts or evidence of legitimate purchase. If they can’t, the items will be seized and destroyed.

Christian says: “We work tirelessly with partners, such as local councils and Essex Trading Standards, to disrupt and deter criminal activity surrounding the shop theft and the re-sale of stolen goods.

“And we visit car boot sales and markets to educate people about the harm this trade can cause. But we can’t be everywhere so we encourage the public and legitimate traders to report any suspicions they may have about the illegal sale of goods.”

Another strand of the Business Crime Team’s work to reduce shop theft and the trade in stolen goods is Operation Pedlar. Owners and managers of convenience stores pledge not to buy stolen goods for re-sale and to report to police anyone who offers to sell them stolen goods.

To find out more, visit the force’s Business Crime pages: www.essex.police.uk/businesscrime

If you are an Essex business and would like more information about how the Essex Police Business Crime Team can support you, you can contact them via the contact form on their web pages.