A SECURITY officer at Manchester Airport has admitted breaching copyright laws by selling fake DVDs and CDs to colleagues.

Allan Hodgkinson was producing the counterfeit movies and music albums at home to supplement his income, a court was told last week.

Hodgkinson (47), of Holthouse Road, Tottington, pleaded guilty to a charge of making articles for sale or hire which infringe copyright, between November, 2003, and November, 2005.

Mrs Rebecca Macaulay, prosecuting, told Trafford Magistrates Court he had produced more than 650 fakes, costing the industry an estimated £19,500.

She said: "Mr Hodgkinson was running a business making illegal copies of films and music from the internet and selling them to staff at the airport. Between 650 and 700 items were produced over a two-year period. When interviewed by police he made a full and frank admission."

Mrs Macaulay said a copyright and counterfeiting expert had estimated that each of the fakes had cost the industry £30, giving an estimated total of £19,500. But Mr David Reynolds, defending, queried the figure. He called for the case to be adjourned for a week so the defence could look again at the complex copyright issues. He said the case had been very stressful for his client, who had lost his job.

Magistrates adjourned the case until Wednesday when Hodgkinson was due to reappear.