Former church fake jeans scam (From The Bolton News)

Former church fake jeans scam

A FORMER Methodist chapel in Bolton was a secret factory where hundreds of cheap jeans were given fake designer labels, a court heard.

The scam was busted when the little chapel - off Ullswater Street, Astley Bridge - was raided by Bolton Council Trading Standards officers.

They found it was being used as a workshop to "customise" cheap jeans with designer labels and buttons of expensive brands - for sale on market stalls to an unsuspecting public. Almost 1,000 pairs of jeans were seized in the raid, John Woodward, prosecuting, told Bolton Crown Court.

He said the garments were intended for sale on market stalls. The counterfeit labels and buttons being sewn on were of poor quality, he added.

Mubarak Mallu, of Astley Street, Astley Bridge, who was found giving the jeans their false identities, pleaded guilty to infringement of trade marks legislation.

Mr Woodward said Mallu told the council officials he was paid £20 a day by a customer to sew the bogus labels and buttons on the garments.

Recorder, Richard Brittain, said the garments were obviously intended for low price market sales rather than department stores.

He ordered Mallu to do 200 hours community service.

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