A trading standards officer from Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council has been accredited as a finance investigator under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

Julian Sorrell is one of the first trading standards officers in the country to gain the qualification from the Assets Recovery Agency.

It will assist investigation and allow him to confiscate offenders' assets.

'Successfully prosecute'

Agency director Jane Earl said: "Julian is to be congratulated on his success.

"Accreditation is the culmination of an intensive and robust training programme that provides students with an array of leading edge techniques to track down the proceeds of crime."

Mr Sorrell said: "I'm pleased the qualification will help us as a team, which also involves the police, to investigate and hopefully successfully prosecute counterfeiters.

"It also gives the power to confiscate assets of offenders as well as cross-checking offenders picked up by other departments, services and other Trading Standards Units across the North East region on a cost-sharing recovery basis.