A MIDDLEWICH man has been ordered to pay more than £8,000 in fines or face jail after he was found guilty of selling fake cosmetics.

Richard Griffin, who lives at The Stables, Stanthorne Hall, Middlewich Road, was found to be selling a variety of counterfeit designer gear from his tanning salon, Sun City in Sandbach.

A member of the public complained to Cheshire East Council and 74 items were seized from the salon including ‘Estee Lauder’ and ‘MAC’ cosmetics, ‘Chanel’ handbags, ‘Lacoste’ fragrances, ‘Tiffany & Co’ jewellery, and ‘Dolce & Gabbana’ watches.

Trading Standards officers calculated that the genuine equivalents of the seized fake goods would retail for approximately £6,280.

Griffin admitted 15 offences under the Trade Marks Act at Warrington Crown Court on Tuesday, May 19, was sentenced to 150 hours of unpaid work, and ordered to pay £6,671 prosecution costs and to repay £1,857 or face three months in jail.

The court also ordered that the counterfeit items seized from Griffin be destroyed.

Members of the public are being urged not to use any cosmetics bought from the salon as they could pose health risks.

Steph Cordon, Cheshire East Council’s head of communities, said: “Trademarks are an essential part of marketing or branding and once businesses register trademarks, Trading Standards services throughout the UK can take enforcement action against those who are found to have infringed them.

“The courts take a serious view of breaches of the Trade Marks Act 1994, with maximum penalties of up to ten years in jail.

“Fake cosmetics can be especially dangerous – some have been found to contain arsenic, cyanide or rat droppings and are harmful to health if used.

“I would urge anyone who bought cosmetics and perfume from Sun City not to use them because of the potential health risks.”