TV licence dodgers have great excuses

TV licence dodgers have used a host of ridiculous excuses to try to avoid paying – including one pet owner who claimed he only had a set so his dog could watch television. TV Licensing, which collects the £142.50 annual fee, has compiled a list of the worst defences offered by the 280,000 people caught using a television without a licence this year.

Another, caught red-handed, said: “The subtitles on my TV are set to French so I’m not paying a UK tax for something I can’t read.” Other viewers blamed financial hardship for not getting a licence, including one man who pleaded: “My wife has her hair done twice a week, so we find it difficult to pay.”

Matrimonial problems provided inspiration for another man’s excuse, who claimed: “I haven’t renewed my licence because my wife flushed it down the toilet, along with my wallet.” One woman told officials: “My husband has just spent £3,000 on this massive flatscreen digital TV so we can’t possibly afford a licence.”



In other cases, the blame was passed to animals and children. One woman said: “I couldn’t make my last payment as my baby was sick on my shoulder and I didn’t want to go to the shop smelling of sick because the guy I fancy works there. In another far-fetched claim, a viewer said: “I have not been making payments because a baby magpie flew in to my house and I have had to stay in to feed it.”

TV Licensing spokesman Jon Shaw said: “No matter how creative these excuses, people are breaking the law and risk prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000. We recognise some people may be struggling to pay and in this case we urge them to contact us so we can help them.

“One favourite excuse was the man who said he forgot to pay as his girlfriend had hit him over the head with a hammer. Others include the viewer who said he had an Asbo so couldn’t go into the village to pay, and one who said, ‘I can’t afford it. I have to pay my subscription for cable TV.’”