Great deal of effort to stop rip-off goods in Leighton market

In the run-up to Christmas, Leighton’s market is teaming up with Central Bedfordshire Council’s Trading Standards team and local traders to launch the Real Deal markets campaign to help prevent fake, illicit and potentially dangerous goods being sold to shoppers.

On Tuesday, both organisations signed the Real Deal Charter to show their commitment to the campaign.

The Real Deal Charter is a cross-sector partnership campaign bringing together trading standards services, market operators, industry groups, copyright and trade mark owners, to ensure markets are free of counterfeit and other illegal goods, so that consumers can shop, and legitimate dealers can trade, in safety and with confidence.

Leighton Buzzard market, which has been running in the town’s High Street since circa 1086 and is still going strong every Tuesday and Saturday, is the first market in Central Bedfordshire to sign up to the charter.

Cllr Mark Freeman, chairman of the town council’s Market Sub Committee, signed the Charter on behalf of the town council.

He said: “The town council is pleased to work alongside our own market traders and Central Bedfordshire Council’s Trading Standards team to ensure that customers of our long-standing street market can be assured that products sold here are the Real Deal.”

Cllr Brian Spurr, Executive Member for Community Services at Central Bedfordshire Council, said: “Signing up to the Charter demonstrates our commitment to providing safe and fair markets.

“Unscrupulous traders selling counterfeit or illegal goods will not be tolerated. By signing this pledge, the operators are assuring consumers that they won’t sell counterfeit goods which are more often than not of poor quality and can also be dangerous.”