A Redditch man has escaped a prison sentence after he and two others sold counterfeit CDs, videos, music cassettes and computer games at a car boot sale, making the public believe they were genuine.

At a previous Solihull Magistrates court hearing, Mark Wilkinson, aged 38, of Pedmore Close, Woodrow South, admitted to 11 charges under the Trades Description Act of using a trademark without consent.

That hearing had been adjourned for reports and the magistrates had warned Wilkinson they would be considering a custodial sentence.

But at the latest hearing, Wilkinson was given a 240 hours community punishment order. Magistrates ordered the counterfeit goods to be forfeited.

One of Wilkinson's colleagues, Andrew Nicholls, of Halesowen, was given a similar sentence and Wilkinson's other associate, David Baxter, of West Heath, Birmingham, was given a community rehabilitation order for three years.

Mr Giles Mooney, prosecuting for Solihull Council, had previously requested £2,879 costs against Wilkinson.

However, Miss Sue Marshall, defending, objected to what she described as a 'high amount' and the magistrates told Wilkinson that the costs would be £1,800

Mr Mooney said that the offences came to light when trading standards officers attended a car boot sale at Highgate Football Club's ground at Solihull, in August last year.

They found Wilkinson, together with Nicholls and Baxter, selling illegal copies of CDS, videos films, music cassettes and computer games in a joint enterprise at three stalls.

"Wilkinson was offering the public 600 CDs and making them believe they were the real thing but the officers discovered they were copies," said Mr Mooney.

"The police were informed and they arrested Wilkinson and the other two."

Mr Mooney said the the retail value of the CDs totalled £9,642 which was the amount the manufacturers and performers would have received in a genuine sale.

The total of the stock being sold by the three men was more than £10,000

Mr Mooney said the counterfeit films included Atlantis - the Lost Empire, Dr Dolittle and Jurrasic Park 3.