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Thousands of pounds worth of fake poppy-branded jewellery, key rings and scarves were seized before they could be sold for profit around Remembrance Day.

The fake goods, destined for Manchester, were intercepted at Tilbury Docks by Border Force officers on Wednesday, November 8.

The goods, some of which were also branded with the words ‘Lest we Forget’, were estimated to be worth around £150,000, had come from China.

They were later confirmed to have infringed the Royal British Legion’s ‘two-petal poppy’ copyright.

Officers discovered packages containing poppy branded goods including 1,212 scarves, 5,400 badges and 1,200 key rings.

Suspecting the copyright infringement, officers seized the goods and contacted the rights holder.

Among the shipment, officers also discovered 600 four petal brooches which were later confirmed to infringe the ‘four-petal’ copyright held by the Earl Haig Fund Scotland (Poppyscotland).

Mark Kennedy, Border Force Acting Deputy Director, said: “Had these fake goods entered the market, they could have cheated thousands of pounds from unsuspecting members of the public and diverted vital funds away from the Royal British Legion.”

In a joint statement, The Royal British Legion and Poppyscotland said: “The two-petal poppy is a registered trademark owned by The Royal British Legion and the four-petal poppy is a registered trademark owned by Poppyscotland.

“We have a responsibility to make sure that these trademarks are protected so that the public can be sure that their donations are going directly to a registered charity."

They added: “By donating for a poppy through our official channels, or corporate partners, the public can rest assured that their money will go towards supporting our Armed Forces community.”

Mr Kennedy said officers would continue their work at ports, airports and mail sorting centres to identify counterfeit goods in a crackdown on type of crime.

After seizing items, Border Force’s trade teams work with owners of brands to establish whether or not goods are genuine.

If they are confirmed as fake, goods are destroyed and rights holders can then decide whether to prosecute the importers.

Events will be held around the country to mark Remembrance this weekend.

On Saturday, the Queen and other members of the Royal Family will attend the annual Royal Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall to mark Armistice Day.

Then the Queen will watch from a balcony as Charles lays a wreath on her behalf at the Cenotaph on Sunday.

Anyone who has been sold counterfeit goods or knows someone who is selling them should contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.