Nealy 6,5000 counterfeit vinyl records have been seized by police in an extensive police raid in Luton.
Last month (April 22), the City of London Police’s Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) carried out the raid on an unnamed premises in the Bedfordshire town, with a total of 6,498 records taken, thought to be worth a retail value of £259,520.
It is believed to be one of the UK’s largest ever crackdowns on fake LP production, with police working alongside the British Phonographic Industry’s Content Protection Unit. They have not confirmed whether any arrests have been made.
PIPCU Detective Sergeant Jamie Kirk has said: “Counterfeit vinyl harms legitimate businesses and causes real losses for artists and the wider music industry. This operation sends a clear message that the sale of counterfeit goods will not be tolerated and highlights the impact that strong partnership working can have in tackling intellectual property crime.”
Peter Ratcliffe from British Phonographic Industry’s Content Protection Unit added: “The vinyl revival means that there are sadly criminals trying to take advantage and cash in through counterfeiting. Like all illegal markets, this doesn’t just damage our UK music industry, it potentially impacts every one of us as citizens, as these ill-gotten gains often fund other forms of criminal activity.
“We continue to take the fight back to the criminals, and the BPI’s Content Protection Unit is delighted to have worked hand in hand with City of London Police’s PIPCU to help successfully disrupt what is clearly a major illegal counterfeiting operation.”
In 2023, a fan of The Clash helped to expose a man who had made £1.2million from fake vinyl records. Richard Hutter had been selling counterfeit records over a six-year period and was caught out when the Clash fan demanded his money back due to the poor sound quality on a record he had purchased.
Sales on vinyl increased for the 18th consecutive year in 2025, with all physical formats up 1.4 per cent overall, as reported by the BPI in December.
