No hiding place for licence evaders

Figures released this week by TV Licensing show that a total of 423 licence evaders were caught in the borough last year - higher than the 360 detected in Larne and 270 in Carrickfergus, but significantly less than the 6,501 caught in Belfast, 1,363 in Craigavon and 1,227 in Dungannon.

Deborah King, TV Licensing spokesperson, said: “On behalf of the vast majority of people who pay for their TV Licence, we work hard to catch those who attempt to cheat the system. These figures demonstrate that there really is no hiding place for TV Licence evaders, and we continue to be highly effective at catching them.

“We do, of course, recognise that some people can find it difficult to pay for their TV Licence in one go, which is why we offer a range of ways to spread the cost, including monthly Direct Debit. We also offer weekly or fortnightly payment cards, which can be topped up online, by phone, by text message or at one of 900 PayPoint outlets.”

Across the UK, more than 417,000 people were caught watching TV without a licence in 2009. And almost 4,000 more licence fee evaders were caught last year compared to 2008.

Further information on how and where to pay for a TV Licence can be found online at www.tvlicensing.co.uk/info.

Meanwhile, East Antrim MP Sammy Wilson has said that the revelation that 1 in 20 people in Northern Ireland do not pay their TV Licence calls into question the way in which the BBC is funded.

“It is clear that the system of guaranteed funding for the BBC through a compulsory tax on the population does not work,” he commented.

“Given the millions of pounds which are wasted by the BBC in a bureaucracy and the fat salaries paid to many of its presenters, the question that has to be asked is why should the public be forced to pay for this money swallowing organisation?”