TWO dodgy DVD sellers who tried to sell hardcore pornographic films in Huntingdon were told by magistrates to find their own way home after the court seized the car they had used. Cambridgeshire County Council Trading Standards asked Huntingdon Magistrat

TWO dodgy DVD sellers who tried to sell hardcore pornographic films in Huntingdon were told by magistrates to find their own way home after the court seized the car they had used.

Cambridgeshire County Council Trading Standards asked Huntingdon Magistrates to order the 2002 Ford Fiesta to be seized after it was used by the two Chinese men to sell counterfeit and pornographic DVDs.

Magistrates heard on Tuesday how Tian Bin Huang of Heatherley Road, London, and his next door neighbour Laing Lin were caught in a joint police and trading standards operation.

Officers were waiting for the men who were caught trying to sell the counterfeit and pornographic DVDs after they parked their car in Stanton Way, Huntingdon, around 3.45pm on Monday.

Some 553 DVDs, 218 of which were unclassified pornography, were found with the men. Police caught Lin after he was found hiding in a nearby toilet. The fake DVDs including titles which have only just come out in the cinema such as Die Hard 4, Shrek 3 and Transformers.

Magistrates heard how the men who said they were professional decorators, were selling five DVDs for £10 and that they were "only foot soldiers".

Each man pleaded guilty to two sample charges each under the Trade Marks Act for trying to sell counterfeit DVDs and one sample charge each under the Video Recording Act for selling unclassified pornography.

Both were sentenced to carry out 60 hours of community punishment over 12 months.

Magistrates agreed the request from Cambridgeshire County Council that the men's silver Ford Fiesta also be forfeited as it had been used in the crime. The pair also had to pay £50 each in legal costs leaving them with just enough cash to return to London.

Mike Enderby, Trading Standards officer for Cambridgeshire County Council, said: "This is a great example of partnership working between the police and Trading Standards. Huntingdon has been regularly targeted by counterfeit DVD sellers who are often Chinese. Usually there is very little the magistrates can do but we are very pleased that they agreed with us and ordered the pair's car to be forfeited. This is the first time we have been able to do it as they often travel to Huntingdon using public transport.