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If the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) felt
that a certain video might be in breach the Act then a
prosecution could be brought against the film's
producers, distributors and retailers.
Prosecutions had
to be fought on a case by case basis and a backlog of
prosecutions built up. However, under the terms of the
Act the police were empowered to seize videos from
retailers if they were of the opinion that the material
was in breach of the Act.
Madhouse
In the early 1980s in certain
police constabularies, notably Greater Manchester Police
which was at that time run by the devout Christian Chief
Constable James Anderton, police raids on video hire
shops increased.
However the choice of titles seized
appeared to be completely arbitrary, one raid famously
netting a copy of the Dolly Parton musical The Best
Little Whorehouse in Texas under the mistaken belief it
was pornographic.
Video nasty - Video Retailers Association
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