700 TV licence dodgers caught in Burnley

TV Licensing can tell at the click of a button which addresses are unlicensed and offenders can be fined up to £1,000.

Burnley’s figures compare to more than 1,350 in Preston, more than 1,130 in Rochdale and more than 1,070 in Blackburn.

TV Licensing spokesman Tim Downs said: “It’s not fair on the vast majority of people in Burnley 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.

“We do understand that some people may find it difficult to pay their licence fee in one go, which is why we offer numerous ways to spread the cost, including monthly Direct Debit, which can be set up very quickly online, and a weekly or monthly cash payment plan.”

There were more than 9,320 people caught watching TV illegally across Lancashire and almost 400,000 across the UK.