A MAN who masterminded a massive fake designer clothing ring was jailed for 18 months yesterday - still insisting he was only doing the public a service.

David McAlonan, 37, was jailed at Hamilton Sheriff Court after admitting a string of counterfeiting charges involving brand names such as Versace and Calvin Klein. McAlonan's scam, worth in the region of #600,000 to the manufacturers, was unmasked by trading standards officers two years ago after he sent himself a bag containing 35,000 fake labels, security tags and hologram labels.

The bag was accidently sent to a catering company at Glasgow Airport from Turkey in June 1999. An investigation was launched and the trail eventually led to McAlonan's council house in Bellshill, Lanarkshire, where police and trading standards officers found a mass of fake clothing, packaging and counterfeiting equipment.

McAlonan pleaded guilty in April of this year to having counterfeit goods ready for sale or distribution at his home in Avon Drive. He also admitted having assorted labels, certificates of guarantee, boxes, bar codes and certificates of authenticity bearing fake trade marks at his home. His pleas of not guilty to four similar charges were accepted by the Crown.

It was claimed in court that the full potential value of the clothing exceeded #600,000 while on the black market they could have fetched almost #200,000.

McAlonan insisted he was doing a public service and should not be jailed because he was not as bad as drug dealers or rapists, but Sheriff Dan Russell said he had no alternative.