A Bradford businessman aiming to short-change shoppers with £240,000 of fake designer clothing was jailed for nine months today.

A judge told Mohammed Akram the sub-standard counterfeit labels "struck at the root of commerce".

Akram, 41, was arrested after Trading Standards officers raided his All Brands 4 U shop in Neal Street, Bradford.

The team also searched another of Akram's business concerns - St Stephen's Mill in Ripley Street in the city.

Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday the clothing, including jeans, boots and sportswear, was sub-standard.

In all, officers found 2,091 fake items of clothing and footwear, including those labelled as Lacoste, Peter Werth, Ralph Lauren, Versace and Armani. If sold to the public as real, the counterfeits would have fetched £240,000, the court heard.

Akram, of Martindale Close, Ravens-cliffe, Bradford, pleaded guilty to unauthorised use of trademarks.

Andrew Haslam, prosecuting for West Yorkshire Trading Standards Depart-ment, said the investigation began three years ago when fake Timberland boots were found at Akram's Neal Street shop.

They were seized and Akram was advised to buy only from legitimate sources.

In March 2006, Stone Island discovered that counterfeit clothing was being sold under its label by All Brands 4 U.

On April 5 that year, the premises in Bradford were raided and the fake goods seized.

Brand protection managers from the designer companies found the fakes were sub-standard, with loose buttons and labels.

Akram told police he bought £500,000 of clothing a month and was not directly involved in most of the transactions.

His barrister, Ayaz Qazi, said Akram was at the lower level of counterfeit goods supply. Her said Akram had "placed himself on the Trading Standards radar" by asking officers for advice after the fake Timberland boots were seized.

But Judge Peter Benson replied: "He may have been ingratiating himself to put them off the trail."

Mr Qazi said Akram had come to the UK from the United States. He said he had three children and his wife was ill.

Judge Benson said Akram's business had had a substantial turnover and a considerable proportion was based on counterfeit goods.