TRADING standards officials have won a national award for the groundbreaking prosecution of a car boot sale promoter.

Nearly 200 companies nationally backed a citation for Howard Turton, principal trading standards officer with Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, and his staff "for exceptional sustained work which produced a carefully prepared and groundbreaking case which has established the offence of aiding and abetting for use against organisers of car boot sales".

The award was made on behalf of the National Anti-Counterfeiting Group for the council's prosecution of 54-year-old George Banks, of Ouston, Chester-le-Street, who runs weekly car boot sales at Redcar Racecourse.

Despite entering not guilty pleas to aiding and abetting 24 specimen counts of copyright and trademark offences, District Judge Stephen Earl, sitting at Teesside Magistrates Court, in February, found Mr Banks guilty and fined him £6,000 for allowing counterfeit goods to be sold.

Mr Turton, who was given the award and £500 in training vouchers, said: "We are delighted to receive the award, but now we want other trading standards authorities to take up the opportunity to clean up car boot sales throughout the country of illegally produced counterfeit merchandise."

Coun Joyce Benbow said: "The success of this operation was down to the dedication and hard work of Howard and his team, giving up many of their weekends throughout the summer of 2003 to gather the necessary evidence. This commendation is a just reward."