POLICE and trading standards officers swooped on two addresses in a bid to crack down on counterfeiting in York.

Warrants were carried out at a residential address in Howe Hill Close, off Poppleton Road, and a business property in Roland Court, off Huntington Road, in yesterday's morning raids.

Matt Boxall, trading standards manager at City of York Council, said the raids had been prompted by items seen on the online auction site, eBay.

"We can confirm that three search warrants have been executed this morning in York as part of an investigation into the sale of counterfeit goods on eBay.

"A number of items have been seized, including some computers which have been sent for expert examination."

Sergeant Hamish Halloway, of the Acomb dedicated neighbourhood policing team, who co-ordinated the police aspect of the operation, said officers had accompanied trading standards officers for "security and safety".

He said arrests may follow the raids, which were supported by himself, two PCs, six police community support officers, and two officers trained in methods of entry.

The raids follow last week's arrest of a 26-year-old man from Cheltenham in connection with offences relating to the facilitation of copyright infringement on the internet.

The man was involved with the running of www.tv-links.co.uk, which was one of the internet's most-used pirate film websites, providing links to illegal versions of major Hollywood hits and TV shows.

A spokeswoman for City of York Council said the local authority was committed to tackling the sale of counterfeit goods, as it was often linked to serious organised crime. She said: "The message that we want to get across is that it is not a good way to boost your income and the consequences are very serious indeed."