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An alliance of music stars, songwriters and record producers has spoken out against UK government proposals to kick file-sharers off the internet. Persistent file-sharers could have their internet accounts suspended in an attempt to crack down on piracy.

But Radiohead guitarist Ed O'Brien, a member of the Featured Artists' Coalition (FAC), said: "It's going to start a war which they'll never win."

The FAC said "heavy-handed" tactics may turn fans away from music for good. The FAC, a pressure group formed to represent performers, has joined forces with the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors and the Music Producers Guild.

In a joint statement, the three bodies of music-makers said they "vehemently oppose" the plans to punish file-sharers. That is in contrast to major record labels and many other commercial arms of the music industry, who have welcomed the suggestions.

Blur drummer Dave Rowntree said the FAC was against file-sharing, but that previous attempts at legal action had turned fans against the music industry and the artists themselves. "We don't want to make enemies of our fans," he told BBC News. "The sensible thing to do is to try to see how we can monetise all this file-sharing activity, which is evidence of a lot of interest in music."

It would be very difficult to find out who was swapping files and whether those files contained copyrighted recordings, he warned. Singer and fellow FAC board member Billy Bragg described the measures as a "very heavy sledgehammer".

"We're concerned that, in an age where there is much greater competition for attention, these proposals are in danger of driving young people away from the idea of listening to music," he said. "As musicians, we're worried about that."

Many young fans had discovered his music through file-sharing, Bragg said, and paid for his music in other ways, such as buying gig tickets. "We should be encouraging people to become music fans, and whether we like it or not, illicit downloading does encourage people to become music fans."