Ben Hurst

A recent anti-piracy campaign has led to six search warrants and four arrests in Birkenhead and Prenton over suspected large-scale illegal streaming operations. FACT and Sky also issued cease-and-desist notices to 10 suspected IPTV resellers across seven Irish counties, warning of civil proceedings or referral to Gardaí. Separately, pub licensee Joanne Elizabeth Hughes was fined £4,529.55 after being convicted of broadcasting Sky Sports without a legitimate commercial viewing agreement. FACT, police and Sky say the actions target the wider piracy supply chain and warn users and resellers of legal, security and financial risks.

A petition calling for the UK personal tax allowance to rise from £12,570 to £18,000 has until 30 September to reach 100,000 signatures and potentially trigger a Commons debate. The campaign argues that frozen thresholds are forcing low-paid workers and pensioners into higher tax liabilities through fiscal drag. HMRC figures cited in the report show pensioners paid about £8 billion more in tax last year, while the cost of pension tax relief rose to £60.4 billion. The Treasury opposes the proposal, estimating that it would cost more than £40 billion a year, benefit higher earners disproportionately and reduce funding for public services. Andy Burnham has identified the allowance as a public concern but the government currently has no plans to increase it.

The BBC has confirmed several TV Licence concessions. People aged 75 or over who receive Pension Credit can qualify for a free licence, registered blind people can receive a 50% discount, and eligible residents of care homes or sheltered accommodation can obtain a licence for £7.50. The standard colour licence costs £180 annually, while the BBC faces declining licence numbers and more than £1 billion in real-terms revenue loss over the past decade. A BBC spokesperson said World Cup-related sales activity had been strong and called for a modernised funding model.