Cinema staff are being incentivised with cash rewards in the fight against theatrical piracy. Thirteen ushers from across the UK have already been given sums of up to £700, adding up to a sum of thousands of pounds, as rewards for identifying potential pirates at screenings of Skyfall, Ted, The Dark Knight Rises and The Hobbit.

The 12 incidents in question all resulted in police involvement. There were also two arrests, two cautions in police custody and three exclusion orders. Half of the incidents related to Skyfall.

The initiative is funded by UK film distributors via the Film Distributors' Association and has been running since 2006.

Speaking to the Guardian, a spokesperson for the project reported that while all confirmed incidents led to the culprit being ejected from the cinema, a sliding scale was employed to reflect the level of remuneration, depending on the severity of the potential crime.

"We're encouraging vigilance in the same way as other companies," said the spokesman, in response to questions about whether such action by staff already constituted a part of their remit. "It's a difficult job to go into a dark cinema and identify someone who will be acting furtively, then ask them to leave. You might get abuse or possibly threatened. It's work that's worth rewarding."