A PUBLICAN has ended up in court after broadcasting live Premiership football games without a licence from Sky Television.

An investigator from the Federation Against Copyright Theft visited the Forresters Arms, on Todmorden Road, Burnley, back in May, and found that the Manchester United versus West Ham United game was being shown in the bar.

But FACT officials knew that licensee Angela McGivern, 50, only had a domestic viewing agreement with the TV giants, which only applied to the pub's living quarters.

McGivern was due to stand trial on Friday, accused of dishonestly receiving a television programme but changed her plea to guilty at the 11th hour.

Alan Jones, counsel for FACT, told Reedley Magistrates Court that the loss in the case was not only limited to Sky Television - although the court heard that a pub licence for broadcasting live Premiership football amounted to more just over £5,000.

But the loss was also felt by other publicans in the area who had legitimately purchased licences, and those who made a commercial decision not to broadcast live football, and suffered a possible resulting loss in trade.

The court heard that McGivern, who has been involved in the pub trade for more than 30 years, had no previous convictions.

John Bradshaw, defending, said the premises had held a pub broadcasting licence with Sky TV until September 2006.

But the takings at the Forresters Arms had been so poor that his client had decided to terminate the contract.

The pressure from customers to show TV matches was considerable, especially when two Burnley FC were broadcast by Sky Sports in early 2007, he said. But she had resisted the pressure.

When the Manchester United game was being broadcast it was a member of her staff who had bowed to pressure and used the domestic Sky TV feed in the bar downstairs.

McGivern had effectively 'turned a blind eye' to the incident and that had resulted in the prosecution.

Business had been poor at the pub and she had been forced to make a number of barmaids redundant.

Opening hours had also been curtailed.

Magistrates gave McGivern a two-year conditional discharge and ordered her to pay court costs of £250.

But the court made no order regarding the publican's licence.

The court heard that the licensing authority would be informed of the prosecution and could take any action it sees fit, regarding the defendant's conduct, at a later date.