Counterfeit pottery with a street value of £10,000 has been destroyed by consumer protection officers. More than 600 pieces - bearing famous names including Royal Doulton, Wade and Lladro - were seized after they were offered for sale on internet auction site eBay.

In February, three men were jailed for their part in the scam which involved producing ware with false trademarks and selling seconds as firsts.

Consumer protection officers from Stoke-on-Trent City Council swooped after a man complained he had been conned out of £1,100.

Mark Meredith, elected mayor of Stoke-on-Trent, said: "Buyers think they are getting a bargain, but all they end up with are shoddy imitations.

"The passing off of this pottery as genuine ware undermines local industry and puts jobs at risk.

"Consumer protection officers will continue to track down these counterfeiters. Meanwhile, this batch of counterfeit rubbish has gone where it belongs - in the bin."

The pottery had been offered for sale around the world on eBay and included pieces of authentic white-ware bought from local manufacturers and wholesalers to which genuine Royal Doulton Old Country Roses transfers had been applied. There were also counterfeit collectable Wade and Lladro pieces.

The items seized would sell for a fraction of the cost of the genuine product, but the quality of both the goods and the packaging are inferior.

Peter Devaney, assistant director of consumer protection at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: "What we have destroyed is counterfeit pottery which we think has a street value of at least £10,000.

"The goods have to be destroyed because they bear illegal trademarks that cannot practically be removed."

Anyone making or selling fakes can face an unlimited fine or be jailed for up to 10 years.

In February, Stephen Noble, of Ashwood Pottery, Anchor Road, Longton, was jailed for 12 months after admitting making a £23,000 profit from the scam.

Neil Woolridge, of The Quadrangle, Endon, who trades under the name of Elizabeth May China, in Longton, admitted five charges, including applying false trademarks to goods and possessing items used to make copies of trademark items under the 1994 Trademark Act. He was jailed for nine months.

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. Williams, of Lightwood Road, Longton, was jailed for four months.