It looks like the UK coppers are coming down hard on those who run umbrella proxy sites.

The UK's Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) has arrested a 20-year-old man on suspicion of running an ‘umbrella' proxy service that connected users with otherwise blocked sites. Ironically he was living in Nottingham which is famous for Robin Hood style activities like this one.

The arrest is part of Operation Creative which is designed to cut down piracy in the UK. PIPCU, DCI Andy Fyfe said that the operation highlights how PIPCU, working in partnership with the creative and advertising industries is targeting every aspect of how copyrighting material is illegally being made available to internet users.

"We will come down hard on people believed to be committing or deliberately facilitating such offences," Fyfe said.

Last month PIPCU began hacking into suspect sites and posting advertising banners with a warning about illegal content and piracy.