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Pubs fall foul of football 'spies'
Landlords in Leyland have hit out at Sky TV "spies" after two were prosecuted for beaming in illegal football matches.
Foreign satellite TV systems can be bought easily on the Internet to enable a pub to broadcast live Premiership matches at a fraction of the cost of an official commercial Sky TV subscription.
But two publicans have fallen foul of investigators.
Landlord of the Queens Hotel on Golden Hill Lane, Terence Penzer Snr, pleaded guilty to "dishonestly receiving a programme with intent to avoid payment"' at South Ribble Magistrates' Court.
He received a six-month conditional discharge, with 250 costs payable to Media Protection Services.
He said: "The fact is we don't make a fortune out of showing any football games and a Sky subscription would be about 800 a month. It would take a hell of a lot of custom to make that back."
Mr Penzer, who has run the Queens for two-and-half-years, claimed he was led to believe the broadcasting package which beams in foreign channels was legal, and despite receiving a warning letter from Sky he continued to show matches.
Roy Yates, landlord of the Original Ship on Towngate, was fined 525 for the same offence and he was ordered to pay a further 525 in costs to Media Protection Services.
However, Mr Yates claimed he bought the package in "good faith."
He said: "This company is going to licensed premises without notifying the pubs, going undercover and spying on publicans."
A spokesman for Media Prosecution Services – a private prosecution firm which works on behalf of the Premiership – said: "Other landlords are fed-up. To have the pub down the road full with an illegal broadcast when yours is empty is unfair."
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Weather for Preston
Wednesday 08 February 2012
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