POLICE officers accused of selling bootleg DVDs and CDs in Lancashire stations may face criminal charges, it was revealed today.

The force's professional standards department completed an internal inquiry on Friday and bosses were set to pass their findings on to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

Solicitors from the CPS will analyse the file of evidence before reporting back to officers on whether to go ahead and charge those involved with fraud.

It is not know how long it will take for a decision.

Several serving PCs and a civilian member of staff, all from the Pennine Division, covering Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale, have been suspended from work.

The inquiry into the alleged sale of copied DVDs and CDs at police stations was launched last May.

Officers raided the homes of the civilian member of staff and officers across East Lancashire in the hunt for counterfeit goods.

Police said they seized what they beilieve to be counterfiet DVDs and music CDs.

Copyright specialists and the professional standards department have been working together on the investigation.

Everyone involved, along with other officers or staff with information, were quizzed by detectives.

A spokesman for the force said: "The interview of the last person was completed on Friday.

"A file will now be passed onto the CPS for them to decide if criminal charges should arise."

Britain's illegal trade in bootleg goods is said to cost the Treasury almost £9billion a year as modern computers with disc-burning software have help the practice to boom.