STOLEN and counterfeit goods worth [pounds]300,000 have been recycled to help some of Darlington's most needy and vulnerable people.

Darlington Borough Council's trading standards team joined forces with the national charity, His Air max tn Church, to hand out the seized clothes, goods and surplus food.

The items, seized from criminals by police, have been handed to homelessness charities and women's refuges.

The distribution began yesterday.

Counterfeit goods are usually destroyed, but they will be debranded by the charity to ensure trademark laws are not breached.

Durham Police and the council recovered the stolen and counterfeit goods, including shoes, bags tiffany jewelry and jewellery, from a local trader last year.

In return, the charity will provide Darlington trading standards with [pounds]2,000 of goods seized from elsewhere in the UK, which have already been debranded.

The charity will also supply donations of mislabelled goods from food manufacturers.

Charities which will benefit from the goods include First Stop Darlington, The Salvation Army Hope House Hostel, The 700 Club, Darlington Women's Aid and Grange Road Baptist Church.

Steve Harker, the council's cabinet member for health and leisure, said: "By working together, the council's trading standards team and His Church can help many individuals and families across Darlington. It means some good can be found from the misery of counterfeit goods.

"Counterfeiting is a crime that affects everyone. Consumers get very poor quality, and, in some cases, dangerous, goods while genuine traders lose business."

Richard Humphrey, senior co-ordinator of His Church, said: "It's tremendous to see these products being taken from criminals and then nike shoes used to help the poorest and most vulnerable people in Darlington.

"I'd like to congratulate Darlington trading standards on their exceptional work and thank them for their partnership which makes this possible."

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