TRADING standards officers have been sweeping the city's streets clean of counterfeit football goods ahead of Saints' FA Cup final this weekend.

More than 500 items, including shirts, hats, scarves and flags, have been seized from bootleggers who have been cashing in on Saints' best Cup run since 1976.

With the Cup final against Arsenal approaching, fake Saints Cup final memorabilia was swamping the city centre. Trading standards officers are determined to stamp it out.

Councillor Richard Williams, who has been leading the initiative, said: "It is exploitation of the trademarks. These items have been selling for up to £10 and hundreds of pounds worth of materials have been sold on the cheap.

"The council's trading standards department is responsible for the quality of goods sold in the city and we are determined to maintain this quality by stamping out these fake and counterfeit goods."

The city council's trading standards team has a duty to enforce the Trademarks Act 1994 and the Trade Descriptions Act 1968 - legislation which prevents people being ripped off by sub-standard and fake goods and protects the right of the trademark holders.

Saints director Andrew Cowen was pleased at the initial success of removing the fake goods from the streets.

He said: "We are very pleased to get these off the streets.

"If people buy an item with Southampton Football Club on it they expect it to conform to a certain quality, otherwise it does not reflect well on the club.

"Between us we are running most of these bandits off the streets.

"The quality of these goods is absolutely dreadful and it's one reason why we take an active role with trading standards."

Fans have been urged to buy official Cup final memorabilia from the Saints Megastore at the St Mary's Stadium or the club's shop in WestQuay.

For more information on how to avoid fakes contact Southampton Trading Standards on 023 8051 1649.