THE ringleaders of a gang that made more than £1m from counterfeit films and music have been jailed after an undercover operation.

Four men and a woman were locked up for a total of eight years and ten months for their involvement in one of the North-East's biggest black market DVD and CD frauds.

The sentences were welcomed by bosses from the British Phonographgic Industry (BPI), which brought the private prosecution.

David Groome, prosecuting, outlined a major operation when ten people appeared for sentencing at Teesside Crown Court yesterday.

He said the gang made an estimated £11,000 a week between January last year and last February at weekly markets and car boot sales, as well as wholesale and mail order operations. More than £1.2m was raked in over the two years, but the cost to film-makers and record companies in lost sales would be nearer £8m.

Barristers for the defendants questioned the figures and said none of them lived extravagant lifestyles or made great amounts from the fraud.

Copies of films that were still being shown at the cinema and of albums that had just made the charts were sold at markets and sales across County Durham, the court was told.

Undercover investigators filmed some of the defendants at the sales in Seaham, Sedgefield, Spennymoor, Stanley and Chester-le-Street, before raiding their homes and finding copying machines, printers, fake inlays for the disc cases, lists of titles for sale and cash.

Paul Canning, 32, of Kirklea Road, Houghton-le-Spring; and Mark Bailey, 26, of Staneway, Leam Lane, Gates-head, were each jailed for a total of three-and-a-half years after admitting four counts of conspiracy to defraud the music and film industries.

Bailey's partner, Gillian Harrison, 26, of the same address, was jailed for six months, and her brother, Glen Harrison, 31, of Kellsway, Felling, Gateshead, was sentenced to 12 months after they both admitted two charges of conspiracy.

David Middleton, 39, of Wallingham, Leam Lane, admitted one charge of distributing infringing copies of musical and film work. He was jailed for four months.

Harrison's partner, Christine Allen, 30, of Kellsway, Felling, was given a 200-hour community punishment order after she admitted two charges of conspiracy.

Canning's partner Julie Parkin, 35, a mother-of-four of Ash Crescent, Seaham, was given a 200-hour community punishment order after she admitted conspiracy to defraud the music and film industries. His sister, Vanessa Canning, 33, of Parkside Crescent, Seaham, was ordered to do 160 hours after admitting a charge of distributing infringing copies of musical and film work.

Bailey's parents, David, 58, and Maureen, 52, of Staneway, Leam Lane, were fined £500 each after admitting a charge of distributing infringing copies of musical and film work, although their involvement was allowing their son to use his old room at their home.