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An illegal Premier League football streaming nerve centre has been uncovered inside a house in Manchester.

Specialist detectives said the arrest of a 27-year-old man at the address in Cheetham Hill was one of their ‘biggest yet’.

A streaming-busting squad of officers raided the property yesterday and found an ‘industrial-scale’ bank of computers and hi-tech equipment which is suspected to have been supporting scores of illegal streaming sites, the Manchester Evening News reports.

The man was arrested as part of a PIPCU-led investigation - with uniform support supplied by Greater Manchester Police - and was taken to a nearby police station for questioning.

The set-up included 12 computer servers streaming sports events from across the globe. The equipment was seized and will now be examined by specialists.

Illegal sports streaming websites are estimated to cost the television industry around £10 million each year.

DCI Danny Medlycott, head of the PIPCU, said the raid had been a ‘significant’ result for the crime squad.

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He said: “Today’s operation sends out a strong message that we are homing in on those who knowingly commit or facilitate online copyright infringement.

“Not only is there a significant loss to industry with this particular operation but it is also unfair that millions of people work hard to be able to afford to pay for their subscription-only TV services when others cheat the system.”

The £1.2m-a-year PIPCU was set up last year to crack down on online copyright infringement, including the streaming of subscription television services and illegal sharing of music, films and television shows.

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It is funded by the government’s Intellectual Property Office and is currently backed until 2015.

However, there have been recent calls to make the unit - run by City of London Police - a permanent feature.

Sky Sports and BT Sport paid a combined £3bn for the right to broadcast Premier League football until the end of the 2015/16 season.

The Premier League also recently announced a crackdown on social media users posting video clips of lives matches recorded from their television sets and warned fans it was illegal to share even isolated clips of match action.