ROME (AFP) - Shoppers looking to step out in the perfect Gucci shoes but save on the price tag were thwarted on Thursday by Italian police, who seized over a thousand counterfeit pairs.

Police suspicions had been raised by the popularity among foreigners of a plain-looking shop run by a Chinese man near Catania in Sicily, where they discovered "perfectly crafted" shoes modelled on the latest designs by the Italian luxury brand.

The horde had a black-market value of around €40,000 (S$65,000).

In a separate raid, officers confiscated over 1.3 million Christmas toys and lights which did not conform to European safety standards, a police statement said.

The products, deemed a risk to children and a fire hazard, were found stashed in depot belonging to a Chinese businessman in the industrial area of the city.