TRADING Standards officers and police have seized more than £30,000 worth of counterfeit CDs and videos from an Otley car boot sale in a pre-Christmas crackdown.

A joint raid last Sunday (December 16) saw officers confiscate 1,300 CDs, videos, computer games and DVDs from car boot stalls at the former Bridge End Auction Mart.

Among the goods seized were newly-released films, including children's favourite Harry Potter and the Philospher's Stone - which is still being shown at cinemas around the country.

Counterfeit video copies of another popular youngsters' film, Shrek, were also found, and a number of traders were given written warnings.

The raid was launched following complaints from members of the public about illicit trading on the car boot sale.

Organisers have now pledged to 'clean up' the regular Sunday event, and carry out checks to make sure counterfeit goods do not return.

West Yorkshire chief trading standards officer, Martin Wood, said the service will crack down on any traders selling counterfeit goods.

He said: "The message we are sending out to traders in counterfeit goods is very clear.

"We will not tolerate the sale of illegal counterfeit goods and warn anyone thinking of beginning or continuing with such activities that the maximum sentence for such crimes is 10 years imprisonment."

Trading Standards officers plan to continue monitoring traders in West Yorkshire in the run-up to Christmas.

Weetwood Police community safety inspector, Joe Napoli, said the crackdown will protect shoppers.

"This is another example of Trading Standards and the Police working in partnership to combat crime and protect our consumers," he said.

Ward councillor Clive Fox (Con, Otley and Wharfedale) was pleased to see a crackdown on illicit trading in the peak Christmas shopping period, and believes the raid may help the town's trade.

"The activities of these illegal traders serves only to put Otley into disrepute, both as a market town, and a shopping centre

"The public has to be protected from being duped into buying shoddy goods, and if this raid means dishonest traders will steer clear of Otley in future, we shall all be better off as a result."

Otley town councillor Colin Campbell also welcomed the crackdown on counterfeit goods, but said there had been other concerns about the event.

He said: "I'm very pleased they have done this. I have been quite concerned for some time about the sale.

"There are more concerns with the car boot sale than simply sales of illegal material. I have heard complaints about traffic, and the noise."

Coun Graham Clarke, Chairman of the West Yorkshire Joint Services Committee said that although cheap counterfeit copies were appealing to shoppers out hunting a bargain, they often turn out to be of an inferior quality.

One of the car boot sale's organisers, Tony Shaw, of Addingham, said the traders targeted in the raid have already been banned from returning to the event.

"When we re-open after Christmas we will have signs up to say that no counterfeit goods are allowed. We don't want anything like that on the car boot sale.

"The car boot sale has been running smoothly all year, this is just one thing that has happened," he said.

He said the organisers aimed to keep tighter controls on the event in future.

Leeds City Council, which regulates car boot sales, said it is considering whether the Otley sale requires planning permission.

A spokesman for Leeds City Council said: "We have been closely monitoring the car boot sale in recent weeks and will shortly be taking a decision on whether they do or do not constitute a change of use."