Inspectors from Trading Standards have been visiting sales

For several years, some of the main outlets for counterfeit goods have been at the open-air markets which are held each week around Northern Ireland.

But now, the trading watchdog is to take a more critical look at car boot sales where an increasing quantity of pirated merchandise is being put on display.

The government body is to send inspectors to some of the sales and goods such as illegally copied CDs, DVDs and tapes will be seized if they are found.

The Trading Standards service warned that some car boot sales were being used by "unscrupulous traders" to sell fake goods, and not everyone selling at car boots was a "bona fide member of the public".

Spokesman Jimmy Hughes said officers had visited some sales and discovered rogue traders operating.

Jimmy Hughes said CDs and DVDs were being sold

"In the middle of the china dogs and the Mills and Boon books and the old records, there we have a chap happily selling up-to-date copies of the Matrix, the latest CDs and DVDs and the latest computer games.

"We have had a look around a few and I'm sorry to say that this feature was common, so we can't just ignore it."

Mr Hughes said he could understand why people would buy counterfeit goods but warned that it was illegal and there were no safeguards over the quality of the goods.

"The law applies to traders at car boot sales just as it does to traders in the high street."