Nottinghamshire radio station hijacked at least eight times

It’s a scene often portrayed in thriller films of decades gone by, but now small Nottinghamshire radio station Mansfield 103.2 is having to deal with a mystery broadcaster in real life.

The station - owned by small private radio group Murfin Music International - has been taken over by the frequency hijacker at least eight times in the last month.

Each time, the pirate has played ‘The Winker’s Song’ by Ivor Biggun - a 1970’s novelty song about self-pleasure which uses deliberately offensive language throughout.

Managing director of the station, Tony Delahunty, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that there was “absolutely nothing” he or his staff could do about it.

“We are told by Ofcom who are investigating the matter, that you only need, and this is the frightening thing, a small transmitter and if you can get near where there is an outside broadcast or a signal and you can overpower that signal [and] you’re on the airwaves.”

Delahunty said that, while this pirate was obviously playing a foul-mouthed prank, the ease with which they have reportedly hijacked the airwaves could have implications for national security.

“This is a clown but it exposes a situation that is available for, who knows a terrorist, that type of person, some idiot who wants to put emergency messages on.

“It could become an awful lot worse … the big problem is you can’t catch them.”

But the communications and broadcasting regulator Ofcom has worked to assure the public and other broadcasters that the chance of the same thing happening with frequency was slim, as it required special knowledge and expensive equipment.

It said a spectrum enforcement team was investigating the matter, warning the prankster that maliciously interfering with a radio broadcast was a criminal offence, with a potential prison sentence of two years and an unlimited fine.