Garage owners told to stop customers driving in with their radios on

Garage owners who do not have a music licence have been told they must stop their customers from driving into their premises with their car radios on.

The Performing Rights Society (PRS) has warned that they would be breaching the law if they did not warn drivers to turn their music off.

Mechanic Len Attwood, 61, does not have a radio on his premises but has been forced to put up a sign asking customers to turn off their radios when they enter. The businessman has accused the PRS, which issues the music licences, as "heavy handed". Mr Attwood, from Witham, Essex, said: "It's total madness.

"The radio stations are paying to play the music and we have to pay to listen to it – they are taking with both hands. It's stupid, I couldn't believe the way they are going about it."

Mr Attwood, who has run Motor Maintenance for 31 years, added: "The PRS phoned up and said, 'do you have any form of music entertainment on the premises?' "I said customers bring their vehicles in with their radios on and while we are working on them the radio is playing. But other than that no.

"The woman said she would get back to me. She came back with her supervisor who said I would have to turn the car radios off but I said we didn't like to tamper with the customers' settings. "She said, 'in that case, you will have to tell them to turn them off before they come in'. I just think it's ridiculous."