COUNTERFEIT towels confiscated from a market will help to warm animals this Christmas after trading standards officers donated them to charity.

More than 2,000 towels bearing fake labels from Ralph Lauren, Chanel and Versace were seized from two men at North Weald market by trading standards officers.

The men received warnings and have been banned from trading at the market.

Trading standards officer Peter Coates arranged an evening of de-branding, and he and his colleagues gave up their own time to cut the trade marks out of the towels. Mr Coates then contacted local charities and distributed the towels amongst them.

One lucky recipient is Whittingham Kennels, in Claverhambury, near Waltham Abbey, which looks after retired Greyhounds.

Kennel's owner Johanna Beumer said: “I think it's a marvellous idea, especially if the bad weather continues. We are lucky at our kennels as volunteers regularly bring in food and towels but any additional ones we can have are an absolute Godsend, we use so many of them.

“We take the dogs walking in the forest so you can imagine the state they get in. We have 48 dogs and washing them takes an awful lot of towels!”

Essex County Council cabinet member for waste and recycling Tracey Chapman said: “This was a very thoughtful thing to do and the towels will come in very handy for lots of animal charities with winter around the corner.

“I would like to thank Trading Standards officers for their hard work in finding the counterfeit towels and then distributing to deserving charities.”