Piles of fake Paddington Bear merch seized from London shops

More than 2,000 pieces of fake Paddington Bear merch have been seized in London following a crackdown on counterfeit merchandise.

The items, worth more than £15,000, have been confiscated from shops across Notting Hill where scenes from the Paddington Bear film franchise were filmed.

It comes as the third film in the franchise – Paddington In Peru – finally arrives in cinemas, with an all-star cast featuring Hugh Bonneville, Emily Mortimer, Olivia Colman, Antonio Banderas and the voice of Ben Whishaw.

A trading standards raid in Portobello Road recovered 1,500 fakes, including tote bags that were being sold for £10 each.

A further 400 rip-offs were seized from five shops in Earl’s Court Road on Wednesday, including 174 magnets, 138 tote bags, 69 shot glasses, 19 packs of playing cards, 11 thimbles and nine spoon rests.

Officials from Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea said there has been a sharp rise in illegal sales of counterfeit merchandise ahead of the release of Paddington In Peru on Friday, the third film in the franchise.

Councillor Cem Kemahli, lead member for planning and public realm for the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea said: ‘Portobello Road is known for its markets, shops and vibrant atmosphere and our trading standards team are “bearing down” and taking swift action against sellers who are undermining legitimate businesses in our borough.

‘Partnership working with trade mark representatives has resulted in an operation seizing nearly 2,000 fake goods and sends out a clear message to unscrupulous businesses that we will come after you.’

The council’s trading standards team worked together with trade mark representatives from Surelock, who previously identified shops selling fakes and joined the council on the raids.

The confiscated fakes will be destroyed and the business owners will face formal action, the council said.

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