Retailers who sell adult-rated games and films to children can no longer be prosecuted because of a legal blunder 25 years ago.
In 1984 Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government introduced the Video Recordings Act (VRA), which was designed to ensure that games and films were classified and age rated by the British Board of Film Classification, making it illegal to sell adult-rated content to underage consumers.
However, according to the BBC, Thatcher’s government failed to notify the European Commission about the law, meaning that it was never officially enacted.
The legal loophole means that retailers who sell adult-rated games and films to minors can’t be prosecuted until the law is passed again, which is likely to take three months.
A government spokesperson suggested that those previously prosecuted under the VRA “will be unable to overturn their prosecution or receive financial recompense."