A BURNLEY bar has paid out £6,000 after it illegally screened Premier League football matches.

The Mix Cafe Bar and Nightclub, in St James’s Row, reached an out-of-court settlement with the top-flight’s lawyers after they found the venue had breached copyright rules.

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The bar’s boss, Pete Clawson, said he accepted the punishment after being ‘caught out’ by installing foreign channels ‘in good faith’.

The Mix was one of five venues targeted in the league’s latest successful clampdown on licensed premises which show unauthorised broadcasts.

A Premier League spokesman said: “Already this season we have conducted thousands of pub visits and commenced action against more than 250 publicans across England, Wales and Scotland.

“Costs awards are being made in our favour in the English High Court on a regular basis and we are beginning to have success in the Scottish Courts, with interim interdicts which prevent pubs from making unauthorised broadcasts of our matches, handed down to several pubs.”

Mr Clawson said he acquired the foreign channels to coincide with Burnley’s return to the Premier League for the 2014/15 season. He warned other landlords not to be misled by firms who insist the practice is legal.

He said: “We bought it thinking it was a legitimate thing to have. There have been cases in the European courts which have found in favour of bars using foreign channels. Apparently the issue was the copyright around the Premier League logo which comes on the screen during the action replays.

“We bought it in good faith and we have been caught out. It’s gone now. Any kind of fine will affect the business but I don’t think it will be too detrimental and we will be operating as normal.

The Castle Bar and Signatures, in Sunderland was ordered to pay £5,000 by the High Court, while The Bruford Arms, in Wolverhampton, must pay £8,500.

The Horse Shoe Bar, Paisley and Bogarts, in Kirkaldy, were handed interim interdicts by Scottish courts preventing them from screening games.

The Premier League spokesman said: “We would advise all publicans to ignore the lies peddled by suppliers who make false claims about the legality of foreign broadcasts of our matches, and to contact Sky Sports and BT Sport as they are both authorised to show live Premier League football in commercial premises in the UK.”