A TRADER was caught with more than 4,000 fake designer clothes items in SIX separate raids on his stores.

Navid Salim, of Bury Old Road, Salford, pleaded guilty to selling counterfeit goods after swoops on his shops.

Five of the raids were carried out at his NS2 shop, on Churchgate, Stockport, and one took place at a store in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria.

The clothes would have sold for £100,000 if they had been genuine and Salim, 40, could now face jail.

He continued to break the law even after trading standards first raided his NS2 shop in Stockport.

They found him selling fakes mixed in with genuine products, making the forgeries harder to spot. He admitted a number of trademark offences, Manchester Crown Court heard, but continued to sell rip-off clothes.

Warned

Salim was mainly selling fake Bench gear but other big-name brands he had copies of included Ted Baker, Henri Lloyd and Louis Vuitton.

Salim was bailed and will be sentenced in May. Judge Lever warned Salim that 'all sentencing options remain open'.

Financial investigations will now be carried out before it is decided how much he will pay back.

Salim originally pleaded not guilty, before changing his mind - a move criticised by Judge Lever, who said: "I would advise you not to be slithery again and co-operate with the financial inquiry.

"You have every incentive to do so. I will be watching you closely and expect you to be candid."

Coun Stuart Bodsworth, from Stockport council, paid tribute to Trading Standards officials after what he described as a 'painstaking' operation.

He said: "The council will not hesitate to prosecute people who deal in counterfeit goods.

"These people deliberately set out to con law-abiding Stockport residents by selling them poor-quality counterfeit products, which is totally unacceptable."