A £1 million counterfeit ring, selling poor-quality copies of top films, has been smashed after raids on two markets in Bradford.

Police and trading standards officers, backed up by industry watchdogs, seized a haul of 30,000 items, which included CDs, videos, PlayStation games and DVDs, some of which are not yet on public release. Trading standards officer Nick Chesters is pictured with some of the seized items.

The raids, on markets at Cannon Mills in Great Horton Road and Ashley Mills in Halifax Road, last Sunday involved a team of 20 investigators from West Yorkshire Police, West Yorkshire Trading Standards, the British Phonographic Industry and the Federation Against Copyright Theft.

Three private houses in Bradford and Huddersfield were also searched and illegal counterfeit copies recovered after a number of suspect traders were targeted.

Three people - a 16-year-old boy from Great Horton, a man in his 40s and a boy in his early teens from Huddersfield - were arrested under the Trademarks Act.

A fourth man, in his 40s, from Fagley, was arrested under the Obscene Publications Act.

All four have been released on police bail pending further inquiries.

Graham Hebblethwaite, West Yorkshire Trading Standards' divisional manager, said the haul of copies included unreleased films such as Pirates of the Caribbean, starring Johnny Depp, and the Eddie Murphy movie Daddy Day Care. Blockbusters such as The Hulk and Charlie's Angels 2 were also seized.

But he said: "They are really poor quality.

"The last ten copies I looked at were unwatchable and two wouldn't even play.

"People think they are getting a cheap bargain but if you are paying for rubbish you are just throwing your money away."

The investigators also seized a large haul of PlayStation games, many of which would legitimately retail at £50. Among them were unreleased Hulk and Spiderman games.

There was also a batch of Greatest Hits compilation CD copies, as well as a quantity of clothes and expensive watches.

Mr Hebblethwaite said: "There is an impression that people who are involved in this type of offence are loveable rogues like Del Boy, but the level at which they are operating does matter and often they are involved in other types of crime.

"In the long term it devalues everything and no one will invest in anything in the future."