A WOMAN who was caught selling counterfeit sportswear online said she thought her customers would realise her products weren't genuine.

Tanya Fletcher traded Adidas trainers, Balenciaga trainers and Gym King tracksuits among other items via her Facebook account, but fell foul of Cheshire East Council's trading standards department.

Its officers raided her home in McNeill Avenue in Crewe, but found nothing. But they were able to identify photographs the mother-of-four posted in 2018 which showed she was dealing in fake goods.

One was a North Face branded coat, of a style which the outdoor recreation company didn't even make.

Nashwani Fazlani, prosecuting for Cheshire East trading standards, said photographs of the goods were sent to manufacturers with six confirming the items were fake.

These were five pairs of Adidas trainers, two pairs of Ugg slippers, five pairs of Balenciaga trainers, four Moncler tracksuits, two Gym King tracksuits and the 'North Face coat'.

"Her [Fletcher's] Facebook account was offering the goods for sale on her behalf. North Face don't actually make coats of that nature, so they were clearly fake," said the prosecutor.

"She didn't attend a voluntary interview requested by the council. A raid took place on her property, but nothing of note was discovered."

Lesley Herman, mitigating on behalf of Fletcher, said a long period of time had elapsed since the offences were committed and the defendant had moved to a new address in the street so did not receive the letter asking her to attend the voluntary interview.

"It's a mystery why this took so long, it is more than three years," said the solicitor. "The labels were the wrong colour and they [manufacturers] were looking at pictures to say these are not something we make.

"She knew the items weren't genuine and she thought people who bought them knew they weren't either. She said the stuff wasn't really good quality and people wouldn't believe for a minute that they were genuine.

"But they were fakes and she has to accept that."

Fletcher, 35, pleaded guilty to selling goods bearing a false trade mark and participating in a fraudulent business, both on February 28, 2018.

Magistrates placed her on a conditional discharge order for 18 months and told her to pay £250 costs and a victim surcharge of £20.

• A 39-year-old woman who has admitted drugs charges in connection with a property at Richard Moon Street in Crewe will be sentenced on June 9.

Agnieszka Barbara Wyciszkiewicz pleaded guilty to cultivating cannabis plants on July 3 last year at her property in Richard Moon Street, possession of a pepper spray on the same date and possession of a bag of cannabis on October 17 last year.

Her case was adjourned for the preparation of a probation report.