Zero Tolerance on Pornography

West Yorkshire Trading Standards Service is warning video retailers against being tempted to make illicit profits from the sale of pornographic videos. Trading Standards Officers have been involved in two operations against traders supplying “under the counter porn” recently in the Calderdale area.

The restricted 18 classification is reserved for films with an adult sexual content. All films sold in the UK are required to be classified by the British Board of Film Classification and R18 films can only be sold in licensed shops. As there are no licensed sex shops in the Calderdale district, Trading Standards began an investigation when a Calderdale councillor received information about a number of traders selling unclassified and R18 pornography in the area.

Officers identified two Calderdale premises illegally supplying restricted 18 and unclassified videos. Quantities of pornographic videos have been seized from both premises.

Martin Wood, Chief Officer, West Yorkshire Joint Services said, “There are strict controls on where restricted 18 videos can be sold and on the content of all videos sold in the UK. West Yorkshire Trading Standards will act to ensure that unclassified and R18 videos are not sold within the Calderdale area.”

Chairman of West Yorkshire Joint Services, Councillor Graham Clarke, said, “The action by officers of this Service has sought to protect consumers from illicit pornographic and unclassified videos. Traders selling “under the counter porn” are seeking to flout the video recordings legislation, and some of the content of these videos is of a nature not permitted in the UK. I hope the recent operations will send out a warning to all video shops and market traders to refrain from stocking such videos.”

Contact Details:

Paul Smith, Principal Officer 0113 289 8219
David Strover, Trading Standards Officer 0113 289 8258
Dennis Ager, Trading Standards Officer 0113 289 8220
Carol Hallett, General Media Contact 0113 383 6431