Traders spark shoe free-for-all

From the archive, first published Monday 11th Sep 2006.

ROGUE traders sparked a scrum when they encouraged shoppers to grab trainers and shoes for free before they were seized by Trading Standards.

Bolton trading standards officers went to investigate a footware stall on Ashburner Street Market, after they received complaints from members of the public who thought the shoes might be stolen or fake.

Two officers went to question the two stallholders and seize samples of footware.

But the traders, men in their 20s who claimed to be from Kirkby in Liverpool, began to argue, then told members of the public to snatch a free pair of trainers before they were claimed by the authorities.

Shoppers scrambled to the stall - allowing the two traders to flee in the chaos.

Two more trading standards officers were called to the scene to help seize the footware.

Around 400 pairs of shoes and trainers, which normally retail for around £50, were confiscated last Thursday.

Peter Tomkies, principal trading standards officer for Bolton, said: "People were trying to lift things off the stall when one of the traders started encouraging people to take them, and that's where the crowd came from. Then they ran off in the confusion.

"They were all High Street brands like Merrill and Timberland. The range of different brands suggests they may have been stolen, but we are in the process of checking it out."

In August last year, a 16-year-old boy and his parents were arrested after Trading Standards discovered a professional counterfeiting operation from an attic bedroom in Deane.

Officers seized fake goods, including clothes, which would have been worth £500,000 if sold as genuine.

The boy has yet to be brought to court.

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