A POLICE constable stumbled across a counterfeit DVD operation by chance after he called at a Kidderminster house on a routine inquiry, Worcester Crown Court heard.

Trading standards officers raided the property and seized copies of pornographic films, mainstream movies, music albums and computer games with a street value of more than £13,000.

Labourer, Ian Whittle, was selling counterfeit movies and music videos for £3 each and games and porn films for £2 each, said Alexander Greenwood, prosecuting.

He confessed he sold the porn to work colleagues and gave other DVDs to family members and friends.

Three copying towers were also found at his home in Warbler Place, Kidderminster, besides hundreds of discs and DVD covers still on printing paper.

Whittle, a 35-year-old father of twins, pleaded guilty to eight offences under the 1994 Trade Marks Act and four under the 1984 Video Recordings Act.

Sentencing him to 15 months jail, Judge Michael Mott said unless counterfeiting was checked, it undermined legitimate trade.

He told Whittle: "Quite obviously, you were in this business for considerable profit. It was a moderately large operation."

The scam was revealed when a policeman called at the house during an inquiry about another man who lived there.

He spotted the large amount of discs and a message on a computer screen, which indicated a disc was being copied.

Trading standards then raided the property on April 25 last year and seized 2,230 counterfeit DVDs, 1,303 audio music albums, 534 games, 374 porn films and 3,000 examples of cover art for CDs and DVDs, said Mr Greenwood.

The DVDs had a potential sale figure of £6,690 and the total value of the seized goods was £13,443.

Whittle was prohibited by law from copying material and porn films could only be supplied to customers by a licensed sex shop.

He had previous convictions for handling stolen goods and a driving offence.

Julian Harris, defending, said: "He had a keen interest in films and DVDs which led, regrettably, to criminality."

He said Whittle was separated from his wife but looked after his children on his days off work.