BRITAIN is attempting to crack down on film piracy by appointing its first investigator into the crime of recording blockbuster films in cinemas to sell as counterfeit DVDs.

Action is being taken because illegal recording, once restricted to North America, has spread to British cinemas, The Times has learnt.

Until recently when a film was pre-released in America, camcorders were used to dispatch illegal copies across the Atlantic before their official release in other countries. Hollywood set out to curb the piracy by opening its blockbusters worldwide on the same day.

But far from solving the problem, it has enabled the pirates to expand their business into another major territory, producing yet more fake copies for distribution worldwide.

The news is alarming for the film industry, because of the loss of revenue, and also because piracy is known to fuel an organised crime network that includes human trafficking and the supply of pornographic and paedophilic material.

Britain’s new theatrical cinema investigator, the first outside America, has been appointed by the Federation Against Copyright Theft, which protects the film and broadcasting industry against copyright and trademark infringements.

A former police officer with ten years’ experience in the force, he must conceal his identity because of the nature of his job. He told The Times yesterday: “Up to 90 per cent of new and recently released films that end up on the streets are being camcorded. It’s a huge problem worldwide. People see it as victimless, harmless crime. We need to educate the public. Buy a fake DVD and you’re putting £5 in the hands of serious criminals.

The fakes are widely available at car boot sales, markets, street corners and pubs. Illegal Chinese immigrants have exacerbated the problem in Britain.

“We could end up not having cinemas. It could be that serious,” he said. “The film industry is being stifled of revenue.”

Camcorders have been found in British cinemas, discarded to avoid the culprits being caught red-handed as they leave with the film. Tripods steady the equipment on the seat armrests, perhaps concealed under a coat.

Crucial evidence of the pirates’ activities has also been found on the fake DVDs themselves, because the big studios mark each of their film prints with “forensic fingerprints”.

If any film is copied illicitly, the markings are reproduced on the counterfeit versions, allowing them to be traced directly to a particular cinema.

Fake DVDs of the most recent Harry Potter film were tracked down to a specific British cinema after they were found in seven countries. Though not identifying the pirates, the markings warn the cinema to be more vigilant, and can aid investigations.

Although the average price of an illegal DVD is £4 or £5, compared with £11 to £20 for the real thing, the quality is likely to be extremely amateurish because the films are copied in such furtive conditions: shaky camerawork, someone getting up in front of the camera, the top of a seat obscuring the view, the sound of coughing and only part of the screen recorded.

The loss of DVD sales, box-office takings and rentals now costs the audio visual industry £818 million a year, according to official figures. The criminal gain from DVD piracy is estimated at £278 million a year.