Public Servant Lifestyle

Award for 'Individual Excellence' given to top Nottinghamshire Trading Standards officer.

The Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA) has crowned top officer Michael Bowie of Nottinghamshire Trading Standards Department as anti-piracy investigator of the year.

Pictured (left to right): Councillor Peter Barnes, chairman of Nottinghamshire County Council; Michael Bowie, Trading Standards officer; John Hillier, ELSPA APU manager at award ceremony.

Anti-Piracy Unit

John Hillier, Anti-Piracy Unit (APU) manager of ELSPA presented Michael Bowie with the Award for Individual Excellence, designed in 2003 to recognise outstanding work in the area of anti-piracy, in a special ceremony in the Civic Office at County Hall, Nottingham.

Bowie is Nottinghamshire County Council's longest serving Trading Standards officer, having worked for the department for an impressive 38 years after joining the service directly from school. He was presented with the award in recognition of his outstanding work in combating computer and video games piracy.

Bowie and the rest of the anti-counterfeiting team seized 8,000 computer games last year alone. A total of 21,000 items were seized last year, including computer games, clothing, DVDs, shoes, watches, razor blades, soap powder, bracelets, glassware and handbags.

Michael Rawlinson, managing director of ELSPA, said: "This award is given to those who have shown outstanding dedication to their profession. We welcome the opportunity to recognise a true professional who has shown by his sheer hard work and innovation that this award is truly deserved."

Michael Bowie said: "I am delighted to receive this award but I couldn't have done so without the hard work of all the team. Over the past few years we've made great strides in combating pirate games and other counterfeit goods and ensured that those who sell them are caught and punished. I hope that any pirates in Nottinghamshire will heed this warning and think twice before attempting to sell their dodgy goods."

Anyone with any information on computer games piracy should contact the police, their local Trading Standards Office or call the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association anti piracy unit hotline on 08705 133405.

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