Three men netted tens of thousands of pounds by selling counterfeit pottery in a sophisticated operation at the expense of Stoke-on-Trent's biggest ware manufacturers. The major scam was exposed as the trio of crooked businessmen appeared before magistrates at Newcastle yesterday. It included them selling counterfeit pottery at auctions and on the ebay auction website, producing ware with false trademarks and selling 'seconds' as 'firsts'.

All three admitted their part in the "massive" operation and will be sentenced at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court in January.

Stephen Robert Noble, of Ashwood Pottery, Anchor Road, Longton, admitted 26 offences in all.

Neil Leslie Woolridge, of The Quadrangle, Endon, who trades under the name of Elizabeth May China, in Longton, pleaded guilty to five charges, including applying false trademarks to goods and possessing items used to make copies of trademark items under the 1994 Trademark Act.

And Tyrone Williams, trading as Bernadette Eve Ceramics, in Longton, admitted two charges of applying a false trade description to goods, including concealing a Moorcroft seconds mark and selling the items as "best quality". Barry Berlin, prosecuting on behalf of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said the counterfeit operation was "sophisticated, deliberate and extensive" and was worth thousands of pounds. He said between them the three men had netted more than £35,000.

Mr Berlin said: "These men are all intrinsically linked in this.

"Over 1,000 items were involved and this was a large-scale counterfeiting operation. This has been a massive operation in which 800 items have been seized.

"This is serious dishonesty."

The charges against Noble, aged 43, included 12 offences of obtaining property by deception by selling counterfeit pottery at auctions such as the ebay website.

He also admitted 12 trademark offences of producing goods which bore false trademarks and two trading standards offences involving items of Moorcroft pottery, which were bought as seconds but sold on as firsts. Counterfeits of Moorcroft vases, old country roses bearing the marks of Royal Doulton without permission and Wade figurines were also among the charges.

The court was shown photographs of counterfeit goods and Mr Berlin alleged Noble had received about £30,000 from the operation.

He also bought figurines for £8 to £12 which he then fraudulently sold as highly-collectable Lladro figurines for up to £60 each.

The prosecution said Woolridge, aged 46, made up to £5,500 out of the scam, which involved making and supplying counterfeit pottery to Noble.

Williams, aged 40, had 47 pieces of Moorcroft ware, three best quality and 44 seconds, as marked with a maker's silver line but many of the silver lines were then removed using acid ready for resale.

All the offences happened between June, 2002, and October, 2003. The men will be sentenced at the crown court on January 4.