Newham still has highest TV licence dodgers
Latest figures have shown that Newham still as more than 3,400 TV licence dodgers.
Though the figure, 3,449, in 2010 means there were fewer people enjoying EastEnders and X-Factor without a licence than in 2009 (3,807) it is still the highest across London. There were a total of 50,000 people watching television illegally across the capital.
Ian Fannon, TV Licensing spokesperson for the South East, said: “It’s not fair on the vast majority of people in Newham who pay their licence fee for some people to watch TV without paying. We try to give people every chance to get on the right side of the law, but ultimately if they fail to pay, we will take action.
“We take TV Licence evasion very seriously, and any householder or business caught watching TV without a licence can face a prosecution and a fine of up to �1,000.2
He said they understood that some people found it difficult to pay their licence fee in one go and offered different ways to spread the cost, including monthly Direct Debit, and a weekly or monthly cash payment plan.
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A colour TV Licence costs �145.50 and is required by anyone watching or recording TV programmes as they are shown on TV, whether they are using a TV set, computer, or any other equipment.
TV Licensing has over 30 million UK addresses on its database and can tell at the click of a button which addresses are unlicensed
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An unlicensed address will receive a number of reminder letters and possibly a phone call before a visit from an enquiry officer is scheduled – but if someone is then caught watching TV illegally, they risk prosecution and a fine of up to �1,000
Detector vans and handheld detectors can be used by enquiry officers to check if an unlicensed property is watching TV illegally, but the database is the main enforcement tool
You can start paying your licence fee within minutes by visiting www.tvlicensing.co.uk/info or by calling 0300 790 6112.
