Porn station to be outlawed

The Government is within days of formally confirming its plans to outlaw a French-based satellite porn channel, it emerged yesterday. A spokesman for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport said a decision by Chris Smith, the Secretary of State, would be "announced shortly".

A ban on the selling and advertising of the smart cards required to receive the programmes seems certain, after the Independent Television Commission asked in October that the Government proscribe the Eurotica channel.

The ban will have to be on the marketing of the decoding equipment because it is not possible to stop the programme being beamed into Britain from another country.

It is not expected that action would be taken against existing British viewers of the channel who already have the necessary unscrambling devices.

But ministers are thought to believe the equipment ban will deny the channel the revenue it requires to continue.