A SHOP supervisor who bought cigarettes after being told they were “from the back of a lorry” landed himself and his parents in court for selling counterfeit goods from their family stores.

Satinder Singh, 35, purchased 2,000 Lambert and Butler Silver cigarettes from a stranger at the family-owned Nisa Store in Commercial Street, Willington, near Crook County Durham, a court heard.

His father Karnail Singh, 61, and mother Kulvinder Kaur, 57, who also own Nisa in Durham Road, Blackhill, Consett, appeared alongside him at Peterlee Magistrates’ Court.

Fining them a total of £1,400, Keith Parker refused to allow them permission to pay in instalments saying they had within they had made a “healthy profit” from the cigarette sales and should pay up within 28 days.

Sarah Grigor, prosecuting for Durham County Council, said trading standards officers acted after getting complaints about the quality of cigarettes being sold at the Willington store, where the son was the supervisor.

In May 2014 investigators bought a packet of 20 Lambert and Butler Silver for £7.70 at the Willington Store and a month later made similar purchase at the Consett store. Both packets were found to be counterfeit.

When interviewed, the son admitted having bought 10 sleeves of Lambert and Butler – each containing 10 packets of 20 - a total of 2,000 cigarettes. Each packet cost him £3.

The parents accepted they were partly responsible having continued to sell the cigarettes realising something was suspect about them.

Mark Davies, mitigating, said the family had owned various shops over 30 years and it was the first time they had been before the court for anything of this nature.

He added, the son did the buying for the shops and was approached by a stranger about the cigarettes.

Mr Davies said: “He was suspicious and asked why they were being sold in this way and he was told they were off the back of a lorry.

“He bought them nevertheless and supplied some to his parents.”

All three of Parkside, Blackhill, Consett, pleaded guilty two charges of selling goods likely to be mistaken for a registered trade mark and two counts of recklessly engaging in a commercial practice.

The parents were each fined £100 for each count, while the son was fined £150 for each charge. Costs and surcharges of £274 will be shared between them.