Charles Dunstone, the chief executive of Carphone Warehouse, the company behind Britain’s third-largest internet provider, attacked the music industry for trying to force him to disconnect customers who download music illegally.

The multimillionaire entrepreneur said that he was not prepared to police his customers on behalf of record labels suffering from lost CD sales.

“It’s between the user and them, it’s not to do with us. My lawyer explained it to me: it is like trying to prosecute the bus company that takes a shoplifter to the shops,” Mr Dunstone said.

The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is trying to reach agreement with internet providers to enforce a “three strikes and out” policy, under which consumers who illegally download music are cut off after being caught for the third time.

However, Mr Dunstone, whose company provides the Talk Talk service, is the first of the broadband suppliers to break ranks, saying that consumers had a right to unfettered internet access. He said: “We give people access to the internet, it’s not our job to control it.”

The BPI argued that Carphone Warehouse had not understood what it wanted. It was not trying to filter individuals’ traffic internet, but still needed internet providers’ help after going through illegal music sites.

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