The picture on our high streets shows that shoppers still have money to spend but are keen to make it go that little bit further. Bargain hunting, it would seem, is now all the rage as households look to make the most of their budgets in uncertain times.

This spending spree will come as a relief to traders relying on the seasonal boom to help carry them through leaner times. However, there are those who would look to cash in on this latest round of spending who deserve to fail – the counterfeiters.

Anyone who buys their wares should be prepared to be disappointed – for while fake goods may look, superficially at least, like the real thing, they seldom if ever perform like the real thing. And when such goods can include drugs and even contraceptives, this becomes a very important consideration.

But that is not the whole picture. For every penny handed over to a counterfeiter is one less going to reputable businesses.

There have already been some big-name casualties on the high street, and struggling shops, big and small, can ill-afford to lose potential trade to these hawkers. Rogue traders also make no contribution through taxes or business rates and employ no-one.

In short, they are parasites who damage the legitimate economy. They can also be connected to other criminal activities, providing ready funds for a variety of nefarious purposes.

The phrase ‘let the buyer beware’ suddenly seems very apt.