In 1988, Trading Standards Officers were given the power to seize illegal video works. More recently this has included DVDs, Blu-rays and video games. The BBFC can provide evidence to help Local Authority Trading Standards Officers and the Police secure convictions under the terms of the Video Recordings Act (VRA) 1984.

Our service can provide evidence on seized media or on the title alone. Please refer to the relevant section for more information about submitting a case to us.

The BBFC will issue a Certificate of Evidence under the VRA 1984 or the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995. This evidence is admissible in court as ‘stand alone’ evidence and does not require anyone from the BBFC to attend as a witness.

The BBFC can also assist Local Authority Trading Standards Officers and the Police in cases of VRA non-compliance. Please refer to the VRA compliance failure section for more information.