A HAUL of fake DVDs, sunglasses and car accessories worth £30,000 has been seized at a car boot sale near York.

Five people were arrested when City of York Council's trading standards team seized the fake goods from Rufforth car boot sale.

The bust comes only weeks after the team recovered £40,000-worth of counterfeit merchandise from the same venue.

The latest haul was seized on Sunday, when council officers worked with student police officers and their tutor constables to carry out the operation.

Further property was recovered after searches at houses in Leeds.

The council's trading standards manager, Matt Boxall, said: "The sale of counterfeit goods is a serious matter.

"The quality of these goods is often poor and their availability is damaging to the local economy.

"We have recently had a number of letters from local retailers expressing their concern about the availability of fake DVDs and its detrimental effect on their businesses.

"There are also a number of reports linking the sale of counterfeit goods with serious organised crime.' "It is not uncommon for fake sunglasses to have no UV protection, and the sunglasses seized this weekend have been sent for examination to see if they breach safety laws.

"Working with the police makes it much easier to disrupt the sale of fake goods and take formal action against those involved.

"We are delighted that the student officers were so keen to be involved''.

Sergeant Mike Stubbs, of North Yorkshire Police, said: "One of our key aims is to ensure that students appreciate how police can work with other agencies to tackle problems.

"This was an excellent opportunity for them to get practical experience of a multi-agency operation.

"North Yorkshire Police work regularly with trading standards on many issues, including the sale of alcohol to the under-18s, so the contacts they have made in this operation will be useful in their future careers."

After completing their initial training at York St John University College, student officers spend 15 weeks in the Professional Development Unit, working with a tutor to gain practical policing experience, before moving to neighbourhood policing teams in York and Selby.

Coun Andrew Waller, the council's environment chief, said: "This is part of the council's commitment to the Safe City initiative. This seizure will be good news for the many York store managers who have written to me as part of a national campaign to tackle the menace of fake DVDs and videos.

"Cutting off this illegal trade will benefit the whole city, and ensure that money does not end up supporting criminal activities."

The Press told last month how two men were arrested when a haul of fake DVDs and CDs worth £40,000 was seized at Rufforth car boot sale.