The Waltham Forest Guardian has launched a campaign urging readers not to buy pirate DVDs.

The paper is asking local residents to stop buying the DVDs from street sellers in a bid to put a halt to them funding criminal activity, and is asking people to contact the newsdesk if they see any sellers on the streets.

Its Don’t Buy Dodgy DVDs campaign follows the discovery of a large-scale counterfeit DVD factory in Leyton earlier this year, which had been capable of producing 2,700 pirate DVDs an hour – a potential retail value of £1.7m a week.

The paper had also received several reports of places where illegal DVDs were on sale, after asking readers to get in touch.

The campaign was raised at the Trade Union Congress annual conference in Brighton, with Leyton councillor Miranda Grell telling TUC general secretary Brendan Barber about the Guardian campaign during a debate about migrant workers.

He has now asked to be kept informed about campaign, which has also gained the support of Leyton MP Harry Cohen and London Assembly Member Jennette Arnold.