| People in Dundee who don’t have a TV licence are in for a fright this Hallowe’en, says TV Licensing, as inquiry officers aim to catch a record number of evaders.
Last Hallowe’en, almost 1300 evaders were caught across the UK on October 31 — 30% higher than the usual average of around 1000 dodgers a day.
This year, in the run up to Hallowe’en, inquiry officers in Dundee will once again be out in force and so TVL is warning people to buy a licence before they are unearthed.
This focused activity follows a successful nine months for TVL this year, with well over 1500 evaders alone already caught in the city.
The numbers caught contribute to a total Tayside figure of more than 1960 people caught between January and June 2006.
As the long winter nights begin to draw in, officers will continue the evening visits to track down those people watching TV without a licence.
Fergus Reid, TVL spokesperson, said, “There are currently a record number of licences in force, so most people in Dundee should only be preparing for trick or treaters this Halloween, rather than a knock on the door from TV Licensing.
“However if your skeleton in the closet is not having a TVL then be prepared for a ghostly visit.
“We don’t need magic to track down those watching television illegally, as, with a database of more than 28 million addresses, we know exactly which unlicensed premises to visit.”
Dundee retained its 2005 status as the fourth worst city in Scotland for licence dodgers.
Despite these figures, TVL indicated that licence evasion is at a record low of 4.7%.
Mr Reid added, “There’s no excuse for breaking the law — especially when the alternative could be as simple as spending a few minutes paying for your licence online at www.tvlicensing.co.uk”
It is illegal to watch television programmes using receiving equipment without a valid licence.
To find out more about TVL, please visit the website at www.tvlicensing.co.uk or call 0870 241 5590. |
