MORE than 470 people in Inverness were caught watching TV without a licence in 2011, new figures have revealed.
This compares to more than 230 caught in Peterhead and more than 150 in Elgin.
TV Licensing chiefs, who warned of fines of up to £1,000 for those who fail to pay up, said more than 62,000 people were caught watching TV illegally across Scotland last year.
However, the estimated evasion rate remains steady at around five per cent, as it has done for the last five years. This means the vast majority of people, or 19 out of 20 households and businesses, are correctly licensed in accordance with the legal requirements.
Fergus Reid, TV Licensing spokesperson for Scotland, said: "TV viewing is as popular as ever, with the percentage of households who have a television set at 96.7 per cent, and it’s our role to make sure everyone is aware of when they need to be covered by a licence. On behalf of licence fee payers in Inverness, we are committed to tackling evasion and enforcing the law amongst the small minority who should pay, but don’t. It’s only fair.
"People are given every opportunity to pay, but, if they fail to do so and watch TV illegally, we will seek a prosecution and the penalty is a fine of up to £1,000. Anyone found guilty is also required to buy a TV Licence at £145.50 if they still need one or they could face a second prosecution. It’s really not worth the risk."
For more information on paying for a TV licence, visit www.tvlicensing.co.uk.
