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A Birmingham jeweller has been ordered to hand over more than £70,000 after admitting hallmarking offences at Birmingham Crown Court.

Umran Rafiq, trading as Asian Jewellers based in Alum Rock Road, avoided an immediate prison sentence, but was ordered to pay £60,000 under the Proceeds of Crime and £10,763 in costs.

The Birmingham jeweller was also handed a 10-week prison sentence that was suspended for six months after pleading guilty to 21 offences, under the Hallmarking Act 1973 and the Trade Marks Act 1994.

He was also ordered to complete 60 hours of unpaid work during sentencing.

Birmingham City Council brought the case against Rafiq after Trading Standards officers seized 22 pieces of jewellery during an inspection on January 19, 2012.

The items were submitted for examination by Assay Office Birmingham and relevant Trade Mark holders.

Of the 22 items there were 14 that were not hallmarked while eight rings bore trade marks for BMW, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Nike and Playboy, which Rafiq did not have permission to use.

Councillor Barbara Dring, Chair of Birmingham City Council’s Licensing and Public Protection Committee, said: “People should be able to have confidence when they are buying valuable goods, like gold jewellery, that they are of the quality they purport to be.

“A number of the rings seized by our officers also broke regulations on the use of Trade Marks, which consumers may not be aware of.

“But this is why it’s important for Trading Standards to take action and bring cases like this to the public’s attention.

“Global brands that have been built up over decades of hard work do not deserve to be damaged as a result of their logos being used on inferior or unlicensed products.”

Rafiq has six months to repay the £60,000 under the Proceeds of Crime Act or faces prison. He must also complete his unpaid work within six months.

Rafiq was sentenced to 10 weeks imprisonment for trademarks offences, and eight weeks for the hallmarking offences, to be served concurrently, suspended for six months.