In October 2005, the London Borough of Hillingdon Trading Standards office raided a car boot sale at Hayes Football Club, as they believed that counterfeit goods were being sold there.

Mr Nicholas Boyd, a 38 year old market trader from Hillingdon, was found to be selling counterfeit 'Nike' and 'Timberland' goods there.  He was consequently summonsed for six offences against the Trade Marks Act, 1994.  He pleaded guilty to these on the 5^th December 2006, at Isleworth Crown Court.  Mr Boyd received five months imprisonment, which was suspended for twelve months.  Additionally, he was punished with an 'unpaid work requirement' of eighty hours.

This was not Boyd’s first encounter with Trading Standards, as he had previous convictions as a result of prosecutions by Hampshire and Surrey Trading Standards offices.

The London RART stepped in to investigate the assets that Boyd gained from his counterfeit trading.  On the 26^th November 2007 he appeared at Isleworth Crown Court for a confiscation hearing.

The contested case was heard over two days.  However the evidence provided by London RART resulted in HHJ McGregor-Johnson declaring the benefit figure (which included hidden assets), to be £11, 940.

A confiscation order was made in the sum of £7,500.  Boyd was given six months to remit this amount, with a default sentence of four months to be added to his sentence for failing to comply with it.

Detective Sergeant Alison Cooper, of the London RART, said, “The fact that Boyd has had this confiscation order made against him has demonstrated the benefits of the Proceeds of Crime Act, 2002.  It has sent out a strong message that those engaged in any criminal activity can expect to be stripped of their assets. This case also shows the importance of RART working with other agencies, such as Hillingdon Trading Standards, to achieve great results.”