COVENTRY MESSAGE BOARD

Illegally copied films included titles that have yet to be released in the UK

More than 1,000 pirate DVDs were seized from a shop in Coventry following a tip-off from a member of the public.

Officers from Trading Standards were joined by police as they swooped on the shop in north of the city on Wednesday night.

The illegally copied DVDs were on open display, neatly arranged in alphabetical order and copied onto blank recordable DVDs with the title handwritten on the disc.

Films such as ‘Eddie the Eagle’, ‘Jungle Book’, ‘Mother’s Day’ and ‘Me Before You’ were being sold at a cost of four for £10 with some of the films not yet released on DVD in the UK.

Trading Standards said the quality on a number of the titles was very poor and some had been copied while being played at a cinema. In others, foreign subtitles can be seen during playback.

In addition to the DVDs, two iPads were also seized and will be examined as the investigation continues.

Allan Harwood, Coventry council’s Trading Standards and consumer protection manager, said: "A lot of people think buying fake DVDs is a victimless crime, but traders who sell these products have an unfair advantage which impacts on the viability of the UK film industry and associated jobs.

"It is our aim to ensure a fair trading environment, promote the local economy and ensure consumers are not misled.

"This is yet another example of how working in partnership can have a real impact in preventing criminal activity.

"Trading standards will not hesitate to take tough action to protect legitimate businesses and residents.”