Officers seize fake Hot Fuzz DVDs

The film Hot Fuzz was filmed in the Somerset city of Wells

Pirated copies of the blockbuster film Hot Fuzz have been seized in South Gloucestershire just days after it went on general release in UK cinemas.

The movie, set in Somerset, was among a haul of counterfeit DVDs confiscated by trading standards officers in Mangotsfield. One man was arrested.

Other new films such as The Queen and Rocky Balboa were also seized.

Some copies have been sent to the Federation Against Copyright Theft which will try to trace their origins.

Trading Standards senior enforcement officer Neil Derrick said: "Incredibly, copied versions of Hot Fuzz were being sold within days of its release.

"[This] can have a very big effect upon its success or failure at the box office.

"In addition, it can have a detrimental effect upon subsequent DVD rentals and sales."

The maximum penalty on conviction under the Trade Marks Act 1994 is an unlimited fine and/or 10 years imprisonment.