Firm is fined over fake toys

ALMOST 10,000 fake and dangerous toys have been seized from a business.

Counterfeit dolls of characters from the Disney film Frozen, Minions yoyos and Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob SquarePants jigsaws were among the items recovered from a single wholesaler in the Strangeways area. Some were toxic, while others could have posed a choking hazard. They all came from Import Export Wholesale Poundline Plus Limited. The firm and manager Tommy Zheng were hit with a bill of almost £6,000. Both parties pleaded guilty to trademark and safety offences at Manchester magistrates court. Zheng was also ordered to do 200 hours unpaid work and pay £1,000 in costs.

Trading standards officers visited the company, on Derby Street, in July 5 last year after incorrectly labelled products from the business were discovered at another retail outlet.

The firm was fined £1,400 and ordered to pay costs of £3,107 and a victim surcharge of £140.