Raid halts pirates' radio HQ

Raid halts pirates' radio HQ (circa 1985)  A pirate radio station at Smethwick was raided today by Government inspectors who seized thousands of pounds worth of equipment.  Inspectors from the Department of Trade and Industry found a current of 2,000 volts being passed through a power line during a raid on a high-rise flat at Hamilton Tower, Smethwick,  They also discovered automatic broadcasts being made from an unmanned station entitled PCRL and took away several pieces of equipment.

Investigations were today being made to trace the station operators, who were said to use the tower block as a regular broadcasting venue.  A spokesman for the Department of Trade and Industry said today the raid came in response to a number of complaints from residents about interference to television reception. Power line  He said: "The inspectors found their safety in danger through an insecure power line carrying a current of 2,000 volts,"  The spokesman said it was quite common for pirate operators to set up automatic broadcasting operations from tower blocks.  "They leave a tape playing so that when the main source of transmission is discovered no one is there to arrest," he said.