The owner of a pop-up shop that sold hundreds of items of fake clothing in Oxford is facing jail.

Matthew Croxson, 42, set up Labels 4 Less in the former Borders bookstore in Magdalen Street before it became Tesco.

He was this week convicted of seven trademark offences in relation to T-shirts and tops from G-Star, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Ed Hardy and Ecko Unltd.

Judge Anthony King told Croxson, who will be sentenced later this month, that the case passed the threshold for jail.

He said: “This was a substantial matter and is going to be treated out of the league of the usual market trader passing off goods that aren’t properly trademarked.”

Shop manager Matthew Brooks, 38, from Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, was cleared of eight charges.

Trading standards officers raided the store in April 2010 after a counterfeit ladies’ G-Star top was discovered in a test purchase.

Prosecutor Tim Boswell said: “It sounds too good to be true. It turns out it was too good to be true. The items were found to be counterfeit.

“It was an operation which had the potential to turn over thousands of pounds.”

He said after the first top was found to be fake, trading standards decided to carry out a full-scale search of the shop with police and an expert.

Mr Boswell added some items were found to be genuine and some fake. More than 800 items were seized.

Speaking after the verdicts, trading standards officer Anu Prashar said: “Trading standards is pleased with the result. Traders should be aware of the consequences of their actions.

“Mr Croxson has previous convictions for selling counterfeit goods and this repeat offence shows he has not learned from past prosecutions.

“He relied on a supplier he didn’t trust and made insufficient attempts to make sure the garments were genuine.”

She added: “We have seen a rise in counterfeit goods, but the range is greater now, it’s not just clothes it’s things like food items and drink like vodka and wine.”

Croxson, from Southend-on-Sea, Essex, was bailed to be sentenced later this month.

A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing to recover some of the money made by Croxson, who was last year declared bankrupt, will be heard later this summer.