HUNDREDS of pirate CDs and DVDs were seized during a raid at a Redcar car boot sale at the weekend.

A joint operation between Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council trading standards officers and Cleveland Police targeted three stalls at Redcar Racecourse.

Three people - a man and a woman from Stockton and a man from Redcar - were arrested.

Computer equipment and copied labels were also removed from one of the arrested people's homes.

More than 1,100 discs with a retail value of more than £15,000 were seized. Many were illegal copies of films still showing at local cinemas and some have not even been released, including Matrix Revolutions and Scary Movie 3. Other titles included Intolerable Cruelty, Looking for Nemo, Kill Bill, Calendar Girls and Pirates of the Caribbean.

Chief trading standards officer Jeff Bell said: "These people can easily be grossing more than £400 a week, none of which is taxed. The Exchequer is losing billions of pounds nationwide.

"These people don't pay business rates, so local jobs in the retail and entertainment industry are depressed."

Councillor Joyce Benbow said: "Those tempted to earn easy money should note that the maximum fine is £5,000 and the maximum jail sentence is six months."