POLICE and trading standards officers joined forces to scupper a huge pirate computer game operation.

Counterfeit games worth half a million pounds have been seized in raids in St Helens and Wigan following a six-month investigation into the suppliers of counterfeit software.

Trading Standards Officers from St Helens Council and Wigan Council, with the help of officers from Merseyside and Greater Manchester Police, raided three premises and, as a result, three men from St Helens and Wigan will be reported for copyright offences.

Six computers were seized plus a total of 21 CD writers and about 15,000 suspect counterfeit discs (including games software and top film titles) and blank compact discs.

A number of counterfeit On-Digital cards were also seized and at least one computer is believed to have been adapted to modify the cards.

Investigators believe that the majority of the counterfeit discs were destined for sale in Manchester and the haul has made a large dent in the pirate computer games market.

Inspector Dyane Starkey, a neighbourhood inspector for Eccleston, who was involved in the haul, said: "We have recently changed to neighbourhood policing, one of the key principles of which is a partnership approach to tackling problems. This is an example of different agencies working together and I am pleased that our officers were able to provide vital support to such a successful operation".

And Councillor Terry Hanley, Portfolio Member for Environmental Protection in St Helens, added his support, saying: "This operation shows the importance of a multi-agency approach to combating criminal activity. Counterfeiting is a serious crime which affects every part of the community which suffers the loss of 1,000 jobs a year in the North West and an additional annual cost to the local economy of £750 million.

"Our Trading Standards Section will continue to seek out offenders and take whatever steps are necessary to stop this illicit trade".