Bargain hunters were conned into buying thousands of pounds worth of cheap tat by a gang of predatory confidence tricksters, a court heard.

Shoppers were lured into The Outlet store in Brighton with the promise of major bargains on high quality goods.

Hove Crown Court heard many customers were too embarrassed to complain or felt intimidated.

Police and Trading Standards officers raided the store after six weeks but not before those running the enterprise had raked in more than £77,000.

Six people appeared in court yesterday charged with conspiring to defraud people by dishonestly inducing them to buy goods.

They are: Liam McBratney, of Landsdowne Place, Hove; Lisa Firth, of Greenacres, Shoreham; John Sexton, of Tufnell Park Road, London; John Cook, of College Cross, Islington, London; David Cranstone, of Little Bay Close, Stotfield, Hertfordshire, and Barry Joseph, of Elia Street, Islington, London.

Cook, the proprietor of The Outlet, and Cranstone are also accused of supplying goods with a false trade description while Cranstone is charged with applying false trade descriptions. All deny the charges.

Paul Rogers, prosecuting, said: "It was a trick, a scam, a cheat, a deception, whatever term you want to apply, it was cynical, predatory and just dishonest."

The jury heard The Outlet - in a prime position opposite the Clock Tower in North Street Quadrant - was leased by Cook in August 2001 but it was not until two months later that the auction-style sales began.

Flyers advertising well- known branded items, particularly electrical goods at rock bottom prices, were handed out to passing members of the public and a warm-up man broadcast the sale across the street using a microphone.

Among the promised bargains were a Sony 8mm camcorder, worth £349.99 but reduced to £80, and a £199 Motorola, the world's smallest phone, for £25.

The court heard sales were conducted at great speed before the public was abruptly told to leave without looking at their purchases.

Mr Rogers said: "Many people were embarrassed to complain afterwards because of how they felt at being conned and of those that did have the courage to go back and complain, very few were able to get an exchange. Most were rebuffed aggressively."

The court heard Trading Standards officials acted after being contacted by large numbers of people who claimed they had been fleeced.

Documents discovered in Firth's handbag revealed that on October 6, The Outlet made £3,430.

Among the goods recovered from the store were 357 poor quality cameras, 107 bottles of cheap perfume and 302 pairs of sunglasses.

There were also dummy packages - boxes which had nothing in them but wood, cardboard or playing cards. A Sony PlayStation box was stuffed with cardboard.

Mr Rogers said: "This wasn't an operation to sell Sony camcorders or PlayStations, it was about selling tat."

The trial continues.