TRADING standards officers have warned the public about mock auction sales taking place in part of the region.

Stockton Borough Council trading officers issued the warning after what are believed to be mock auctions were held in former charity shops in the town.

Officials said that mock auctions appear as if "by magic" in empty shop premises, with shoppers enticed in by the chance of a bargain.

However, when the bidding begins it is often difficult to know what they are actually bidding for.

A trading standards spokesman said organisers of mock auctions put "plants" in the crowd to ensure the price keeps going up. Quite often, people got carried away and ended up parting with large amounts of money for goods they had not seen. Once the sale is over the seller is never to be seen again.

David Kitching, the council's trading standards and licensing manager, said: "Mock auctions operate by raising consumers' expectations to such an extent that they are often willing to pay hundreds of pounds for unidentified goods in a black bag. They are illegal and my officers will take whatever measures they can to stop these sales."