Pirated goods are often used to fund organised crime, it is claimed

Organisers of the new get-tough campaign claim the dodgy DVD industry is linked to organised crime and must be stopped.

They allege "serious criminals" such as paedophiles and people traffickers are at the centre of the scam.

The pre-Christmas initiative is being led by TV celebrity Lynn Faulds-Wood and Tory MSP Bill Aitken.

Efforts to curb the counterfeit DVD racket are supported by film distributors, retailers and trading standards officers.

What was once the preserve of wide boys operating out of the Glasgow Barras Market has now been largely taken over by serious criminals Bill Aitken MSP

The blitz aims to dispel the myth that bootleg DVD traders are harmless Del Boy-style wheeler-dealers.

Ms Faulds-Wood claimed: "I have stumbled across underworld gangsters, traffickers in illegal immigrants and terrorists.

"I was not aware of the sinister nature of the people involved in DVD piracy. I have also, sadly, seen children as young as 12 being used to front street stalls whilst being drawn into the web of crime."

Mr Aitken said: "DVD piracy is not a victimless crime. Legitimate businesses are losing revenue to a massive extent.

"What was once the preserve of wide boys operating, for example, out of the Glasgow Barras Market has now been largely taken over by serious criminals, many of whom have an international connection."

'Poor quality DVDs'

He added: "The drugs barons of a few years ago have diversified and frankly it is only a matter of time before the turf wars which we have seen in Glasgow are not fought exclusively over drugs but also over the market for illicit and counterfeit goods such as DVDs."

Lavinia Carey, of the British Video Association, said: "By challenging the public's views about piracy being a victimless crime, we hope to make people stop and think where their money is going before they buy a pirate DVD.

"We want to raise the public profile of the problem and make people realise that on top of buying a potentially poor quality DVD, which may not be worth watching, they could be funding the criminal activities that cause serious problems in their community."