A SHOPKEEPER turned his store into a miniature factory for producing illegal music, films and computer games to pay off credit card debts, a court heard.

Trading standards officers targetted Asif Shamim, 31, of The Avenue, Middlesbrough, at his Welcome Store, in Cumberland Road, Middlesbrough, after a tip off.

An undercover officer bought an illegal DVD copy of Spiderman on November 15 last year, which was before it had gone on general release in the UK.

On December 12, a warrant was executed at the property and officers recovered 3,000 discs of copied music, films and computer games.

Computers adapted to make the copies were also found. A search revealed hundreds of printed inlay covers, shopping lists and handwritten orders from customers.

Angela Gray, prosecuting for Middlesbrough Council, said: "Each evening, the premises underwent a transformation from a general dealers and off licence into a home entertainment supplier.

"Counterfeiting is tantamount to theft because it is the theft of ideas from people who pay to protect their products.

"Trading standards have received an increasing number of complaints relating to this practice."

Shamim admitted six trademark offences and eight copyright offences relating to DVDs, CDs and video cassettes, as well as making the Spiderman DVD available for sale.

Teesside magistrates heard yesterday how he made between £200 and £400 a week for 14 weeks.

In mitigation, Dan Gaskell said he did it to pay off large credit card debts.

"The theft in this case is less tangible than it might be otherwise," said Mr Gaskell.

"I would liken it to benefit fraud in that the loss in this case is the trademark holders who are very, very large."

Shamim was given a 240-hour community punishment order and must pay £4,200 in costs.

All the recovered counterfeit CDs are to be destroyed