SCHOOLCHILDREN on Teesside are being included in a Government-backed survey into people's attitudes about buying counterfeit goods.

The Patents Office in London has approached the University of Teesside at Middlesbrough for help in gathering information about counterfeit goods in the area.

One of the university's consumer law students is going into schools in the area to find out their perceptions about buying fake designer goods.

Lecturer John Whisson says youngsters now have their own spending power.

Three students challenged people to distinguish between the genuine and fake with an array of different items at the consumer advice centre in Middlesbrough.

Mr Whisson said: "I don't think people can distinguish. The problem is the counterfeiter is now becoming very clever. They are concentrating their energies on producing better goods, better packaging. But the quality is not there.''

The crooks were not just turning out fake designer clothes, videos and music, but aircraft and vehicle parts.

"It's getting into the wholesale trade,'' said Mr Whisson.

Music and films were also being downloaded from the Internet and reproduced as the genuine article, with most of the money going to organised crime.