A PORTHMADOG wholesaler has been ordered to pay more than £11,000 in fines after admitting supplying customers with kegs of beer which had been relabelled with false ‘before dates’, barcodes and serial numbers as well as trademarks reproduced without permission.

In a case brought by Gwynedd Council’s Public Protection Service, Dawsons (Wales) Ltd of Porthmadog pleaded guilty to the relabelling and supplying of kegs of beer contrary to the Trade Marks Act 1994, carrying out business for a fraudulent purpose contrary to the Companies Act 2006.

They also admitted engaging in misleading advertising contrary to the Business Protection from Misleading Marketing Regulations 2008.

The firm’s solicitor told Caernarfon Magistrates Court the relabelled barrels were a “tiny proportion” of the business and the company had co-operated fully with the investigation.

A spokesperson for Gwynedd Council said: “Following the receipt of intelligence, evidence was obtained from representatives of the relevant breweries confirming that 54 kegs of beer had been relabelled with labels bearing false best before dates, barcodes and serial numbers as well as trademarks reproduced without the owner’s permission.

“The company and its director, Peter Maxwell Dawson, cooperated fully with the council’s investigation and accepted blame for what had happened.

“The magistrates at Caernarfon Court ordered the company to pay £6,400 in fines, £170 victim surcharge and a total of £4,642.40 in costs.

“The company has promised to be more vigilant in future and a new operations manager has been appointed.

“As a council, we have a duty to protect economic interests of legitimate businesses who legally sell such products.

“If anyone has any information relating to the sale of any illegal goods you can report the matter in confidence by contacting Gwynedd Council’s Public Protection team via e-mail: [email protected]u or call them on 01766 771000.”