Horse and £20,000 of suspected counterfeit clothing seized at Stow Fair

From the Gloucester Echo

A HORSE and £20,000 of suspected counterfeit clothing was seized at Stow Horse Fair.

As thousands of visitors thronged to the mud-bound Gypsy gathering on Thursday, the RSPCA mounted an operation to ensure animals' welfare.

Gloucestershire Trading Standards also swung into action with a crackdown on counterfeit goods. The co-ordinated move was supported by Gloucestershire police and Cotswold District Council.

One young horse was seized by RSPCA officers. The yearling cob, lame on his left hind leg, is black with a white blaze and two white socks on his hind legs. The RSPCA is eager to speak to anyone who knows who owns the horse.

One person was reported on suspicion of selling puppies in a public place without a licence, which can carry a £2,000 fine. A puppy is now in RSPCA care.

RSPCA chief inspector Lee Hopgood said: "Some of the traders in puppies at these events are not simply selling an accidental litter of puppies, many of them are breeding and selling dogs purely for profit. This is obvious as they often have more than one litter of puppies, of different breeds and ages.

"The welfare standards for the animals is not their first priority and the background of the dogs is unknown

"Every year the RSPCA is contacted by people who've purchased a puppy from Stow Fair due to the animal becoming sick within hours of getting home.

"Last year we found a puppy in a dreadful condition. We had to take him directly to a veterinary surgeon who said he was suffering due to neglect."

Trading Standards officials swooped on stalls trading in £20,000 of counterfeit clothes.

Suspected 'brands' includedSuperdry, Paul Boutique, Polo Ralph Lauren, Juicy Couture, Vivienne Westwood, Calvin Klein, Hello Kitty, Fred Perry, Adidas and Nike. Items were confiscated and £4,000 cash seized from suspected traders.

Gloucestershire police chief inspector Rob Priddy said: "We were pleased to support these operations in order to ensure the law is upheld at Stow Horse Fair. We hope the actions taken act as a warning to others engaging in these activities they will not be tolerated."

Police also arrested one trader, a 50-year-old man from Rochester, for possession of a class A drug. He was given a formal caution for possession of amphetamine. A second trader was issued with a street caution for possession of cannabis.