Police seize foreign satellite equipment
Police and trading standard officers this morning raided four pubs in Blackburn for screening Premiership football via foreign satellite systems.
In an unprecedented move, police and trading standards officers seized foreign satellite cards and decoders from the premises.
Previously Media Protection Services has visited venues to warn licensees about the use of foreign satellite equipment before making a return visit.
Dan Johnson, chief spokesman for the FA Premier League, said that along with MPS it would now look to prosecute the offending licensees.
"This sends a clear message to the licensed trade that the use of foreign satellite systems is illegal and will not be tolerated," he said.
"We hope that other licensees will take heed and stop using these illegal systems, so it's not necessary to pursue the prosecution of other publicans.
"We will also be using this evidence to target suppliers in the coming months."
A number of licensees have continued to show football via foreign satellite systems after prosecutions against licensees recently failed on the basis they did not know they were acting dishonestly.
Suppliers of foreign satellite systems to the pub trade continue to claim they are operating within the law.