Westminster Council burns illegal porn 'worth £1 million'

A million pounds worth of illegal pornographic films will go up in smoke today after they were seized by Westminster Council.

The 40,000 DVDs, worth about £25 each, were confiscated from across Westminster by licensing inspectors because either the content was illegal or the person selling them did not have the right licence to do so.

The two-tonne stash - collected over the last twelve months together with various magazines and sex aids - has been loaded into boxes and is being taken to an incinerator in Edmonton, north London, for disposal.

The measure is part of an on-going crackdown on sleaze in Soho. In the last two months, inspectors have raided and closed down two illegal hostess bars, which lured men in under the false premise of adult entertainment then charged them exorbitant rates for soft drinks in the company of hostesses. One of these hostess bars was also an illegal gambling club.

Councillor Daniel Astaire, Cabinet Member for Community Protection, said: “We’ve heard all the jokes about how they must be ‘too hot to handle’ but on a serious note, the sex and adult entertainment industry is a recognised part of Soho and central London but it needs careful monitoring and enforcement to prevent exploitation

“Adult materials are carefully monitored for real, understandable reasons and motives.  We have a duty to our residents and visitors, including children, to ensure that illegal materials are not plied through the streets and shops of our city.” 

Clip joints, as they are informally known, have previously circumvented licensing legislation by not selling alcohol or offering adult entertainment, despite displaying garish signs such as “sexy girls”.

But following extensive lobbying from Westminster City Council, the LLA Act 2007 (London Local Authorities Act) means the venues now need to apply for a sex establishment licence if they wish to continue trading, putting them under the control of the local licensing authority for the first time.

Two years ago there were eight clip joints operating in Westminster but tough enforcement by Westminster Council and the Metropolitan Police for breaches of planning and health and safety regulations has led to the closure of six.

Residents who have any concerns about premises in Westminster can contact the Community Intelligence Line on 020 7641 3000.