A fancy dress shop owner was fined £6,000 after being found with counterfeit superhero costumes.

Amir Liaquat, 36, was found with a number of fake costumes such as Super Girl, Batman, Spider Man and Harry Potter at his store, Fancy Dress Mart at 286 Chingford Road, Walthamstow.

After the costumes were seized by Waltham Forest Council Trading Standards Officers in September 2016 they were sent to trademark representatives to check if they were genuine.

All the seized items were found to be fake.

Mr Liaquat of Chingford Road, Walthamstow is director of Party Outfitters Ltd and also sold the fake clothing on Amazon UK.

He appeared at Thames Magistrates Court on Friday August 4 where he pleaded guilty to offences under the Trademarks Act for supplying costumes and accessories.

He was fined £6,000.00 and ordered to pay costs of £755.55 and a victim surcharge of £120.

Cllr Clyde Loakes, deputy leader and member for the environment, said: “Just because superheroes are popular at the moment, it doesn’t mean businesses should cash in by selling counterfeit costumes.

“It pays to stick to the law and not become a super villain.”