A man with links to both Wickwar and Yate has appeared in court, 10 years after he was ordered to pay back £95,000 that he had made from selling fake trainers.

Martyn Davis, 38, of Canters Leaze Wickwar, appeared at Bristol Crown Court earlier this month in connection to counterfeit offences from over a decade ago.

South Gloucestershire Trading Standards originally investiagted Davis in 2008 after he was found guilty of selling fake trainers via an online auction and shopping website.

As part of the investigation Davis' home, then in Yate, was raided resulting in the 355 pairs of shoes being seized.

He was sentenced in 2010 and ordered to pay £96,807.15, however at the time his assets were established to be £2,000.

During 2018, it was decided that Davis appeared to have sufficient funds to satisfy the outstanding sum of £94,807.15.

Financial investigators found that he had the funds, primarily in the equity of a house and a pension fund.

On May 13, he was ordered to pay the outstanding amount within three months or face a 12 month jail sentence.

Cabinet Member for Communities Cllr Rachael Hunt said: “We are pleased to see this case finally reach its conclusion with the repayment of these ill-gotten gains. The sale of counterfeit goods harms legitimate businesses and often leaves the buyer with sub-standard and sometimes dangerous items.

“Anyone who suspects they may have been sold counterfeit goods is urged to report it to Trading Standards by calling 03454 04 05 06.”

Mark Pullin, Strong, Safer Communities Manager at South Gloucestershire Council, said: “South Gloucestershire Council regularly takes prosecutions involving action under the Proceeds of Crime Act to recover financial gain made from criminal activity.

“We will routinely re-visit cases like this where offenders do not have sufficient funds to cover confiscation orders at the time they are made.

“Had Mr Davis not readily agreed to re-pay the outstanding figure he could have been ordered to pay a substantial sum in interest on it.”