A HUSBAND and wife have been convicted for selling counterfeit goods at last year’s Great Dorset Steam Fair.

Mohammed Masood Ali and Kauser Fisa Ali, from Bolton, appeared before Bolton Magistrates on November 7, for sentencing having previously pleaded guilty to nine offences under the Trade Marks Act 1994 at Weymouth Court.

The court heard how a trading standards officer was at the event – which was called off in 2023 – on bank holiday Monday 2022 and noticed a large stall in the market area selling a wide range of counterfeit goods including handbags, purses, hats, trainers and clothing.

The stall was owned by Mohammed Masood Ali, 56, and his 55-year-old wife, Kauser Fisa Ali.

With the assistance of staff and security officers from the Steam Fair, around 600 items were seized, all of which were later confirmed as counterfeit by trademark representatives.

The court was told that if the items had been genuine their value would have been over £290,000.

Mrs Ali claimed she didn’t know the items were fake and didn’t know anything about counterfeits.

However, checks by trading standards revealed she had pleaded guilty to selling counterfeit goods in July 2020 at Greater Manchester Magistrates Court.

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This followed an investigation where she was filmed selling counterfeit goods at four different markets across the country. In this case she was described as a prolific trader in fake goods.

Both Mr and Mrs Ali were sentenced to 12-months in prison, suspended for two years.

Mr Ali was ordered to undertake 300 hours of unpaid work and Mrs Ali was given a curfew order from 6pm to 6am for a period of six months.

Both were ordered to pay prosecution costs of £931 and a victim surcharge of £187.

The items were seized at the 2022 Dorset Steam Fair

Cllr Laura Beddow, Dorset Council’s portfolio holder for culture, communities and customer services, said: “The sale of counterfeit goods can undermine the reputation of the brands they are imitating but also severely damage businesses selling the genuine items.

“Anyone caught selling fake goods in Dorset will face robust legal action by the Council’s trading standards service.”