ILLEGAL merchandise trading and marketing stunts will not be tolerated when the 2012 Olympics come to Essex, trading standards bosses have warned.

Strict regulations will be enforced around the London 2012 mountain biking venue at Hadleigh Farm and trading standards officers will patrol car parks and railway stations to ensure bogus traders and promoters aren’t operating.

The measures will be in place before and during the Olympic mountain biking races on August 11 and 12, to ensure spectators can safely access the venue and companies don’t overshadow official London 2012 sponsors who have paid to promote their products at events.

Steve Lynch, strategic manager of trading standards for Essex County Council, said: “Our aim is to be very low key, so hopefully people won’t even notice we're there. We don’t want people to be publicly arrested, but if they don’t listen to us, they could be and we will seize their goods.

“Our message is don’t turn up, as you will be caught. Our focus is on public safety, as there will be large crowds and we want the Games to have a celebratory look and feel to them.”

Organisers are keen to avoid recent high-profile examples of so-called ambush marketing at major sporting events.

For example, at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Dutch beer firm Bavaria sent 36 attractive girls clad in bright outfits to a match between the Netherlands and Denmark to illegally promote the brand, which wasn’t an official sponsor.

Ex-footballer Robbie Earl sold the company the tickets and lost his job as an ITV pundit for his part in the marketing stunt.

At the 2010 Ryder Cup in Newport, Wales, Irish bookmaker Paddy Power was ordered to take down a giant sign it put up on a neighbouring farmer’s field.

The strictest measures will apply to a zone drawn up around Hadleigh Farm, taking in most of Hadleigh Country Park and some surrounding streets, including Lynton Road, Tylewood, Castle Avenue and Sayers Farm.

In this area, only official London 2012 sponsors, such as Coca Cola and McDonald’s, and those who have applied and been granted a licence from the Olympic Delivery Authority will be able to trade or advertise.

Promotional signs, advertising giveaways, busking, charity collections, billboards, posters, and distributing promotional leaflets will be banned within the zone, from August 10 to 12.

Essex County Council Trading Standards officers will also work alongside licensing officers from Castle Point, Southend and Basildon councils to patrol the area surrounding Hadleigh Farm.

This includes Leigh railway station, the designated train stop for spectators, and park-and-ride facilities at Barleylands Farm in Billericay, Case New Holland tractor plant in Basildon, Waterside Farm Leisure Centre on Canvey and land at Sandon near Chelmsford.

The mountain biking competition falls on the final weekend of the 16-day Olympics.