The first counterfeit copies of the latest Star Wars film to be seized in the UK have been found at a Scottish market.

Episode II: Attack of the Clones was among almost 2,000 fake videos and computer games confiscated by council officials in North Lanarkshire.

The team estimates that the haul was worth about �60,000.

Counterfeit goods act as nothing but a drain on the local economy

Councillor Jimmy Coyle

Councillor Jimmy Coyle, convener of North Lanarkshire Council's planning and environment committee, paid tribute to those involved in the weekend swoop.

"The success of the raid is testament to the hard work and effort that is put in by each and every one of our officers every single day of the year," he said.

"Counterfeit goods act as nothing but a drain on the local economy and this can have disastrous effects on legitimate traders in our towns and villages as well as causing problems for the consumer."

The raid was carried out at Wishaw Market on Saturday - just three day after the movie premiered in Scotland.

Recently released

The 2,000 counterfeit items were found on a single stall.

Some of the movies found have only recently been released in British and American cinemas.

Some of the most popular computer games of the year were also discovered by the council team.

The Federation Against Copyright Theft confirmed that it was the first seizure of Episode II: Attack of the Clones in the UK.

The fifth instalment in the Star Wars series was one of the most hotly-anticipated films of the year.

It recorded the third highest total for a film's first weekend in the United States, behind only Spider-Man and the Harry Potter movie.