Group probes Sky screenings

A group representing foreign satellite suppliers has set up a new company to investigate alleged screenings of Premiership games in mainland Europe via Sky.

Media Protection Services (Europe) has been formed

to act in a similar way

to Media Protection Services (MPS), which investigates screenings of games in the UK using foreign broadcasters.

The European Satellite TV Association (Esta), which set up MPS (Europe), wants to use any evidence

collected to argue that

Sky is acting improperly in

a bid to challenge its monopoly of Premiership football screenings in the UK.

The news was revealed today at the second meeting of Licensees Against Media Protection Services (LAMPS), an action group formed by around 80 licensees in Bolton.

A spokesman for Esta said MPS (Europe) is "surveying thousands of pubs and bars in Spain".

Meanwhile, Esta revealed it is buying shares in Sky in order to be able to attend the company's general meetings so as to put questions to the supplier.

It is also urging LAMPS members to buy shares.

Bolton host Ken Lord, who heads LAMPS, said three Bolton MPs have been invited to attend today's meeting, along with police and local authority licensing officers.

Brian Iddon, Labour MP for Bolton South, has already written to Culture Secretary James Purnell asking for clarification on the law on foreign satellite screenings.

Phillip Davies, who investigates piracy at Sky, told the Morning Advertiser in March that the screening of Premiership football via Sky at bars in Spain, Greece, France and Portugal was "not something I am aware of".

Sky declined to comment this week.

Wayne Rooney's uncle fined

The uncle of football star Wayne Rooney has been fined for screening football using a domestic Sky card.

John Morrey, licensee at the Old Stanley Arms in Prescot Road, Liverpool, was found guilty of screening two matches without a commercial Sky contract.

Morrey's daughter Laura Morrey, the licence holder,

was fined £1,500, while Morrey, himself, was hit with a

£4,000 fine.

Morrey screened the FA Community Shield match between Liverpool and Chelsea on 13 August 2006, and the Premiership game between Sheffield United and Liverpool

on August 19.

Morrey also had a previous conviction for the same offence last year when he was fined £3,000.

He had successfully delayed publication of the details of the case by arguing that witnesses could be prejudiced if they knew he was Rooney's uncle.

"It is quite clear that this offence was taking place and the court fined him accordingly," said a Federation Against Copyright (Fact) spokesman.

"Fact will continue to work on behalf of Sky to identify

and prosecute those seeking to defraud Sky and protect those who pay legitimate subscription charges."

Morrey said he had just left the pub and was planning to appeal.