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The TV Licensing agency is convinced my little brother is a common criminal. He’s not, but he’s been threatened with court.
He studies psychology at Lincoln University. He’s a law-abiding citizen, having only been handcuffed once for carrying a lethal weapon, even though it was an umbrella. To be fair, the police did apologise for the mistake.
But he woke up one day this month to a harshly worded letter for not paying his TV licence. He doesn’t own a TV. Neither do his flatmates. When he first moved in he received a call from the licensing agency: “You don’t have a licence and we need to check you don’t have a TV.” He said, “Okay.”
Now a new, more threatening and extremely presumptuous letter arrives.
“Our enforcement division has identified that there is no record of a TV licence at your address. You may therefore be watching… television programmes without a licence.”
“Enforcement officers have been authorised by us to visit your address,” it reads, “to interview you under caution in compliance with the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984.” He and his flatmates have, more than once, declared nobody there uses or owns a TV, and that they’re fine with being inspected.
But despite no visit, they are again assumed to be law-breakers, and on the receiving end of a letter full of things like, “Officers from our enforcement division catch 80,485 people every year,” and, “to avoid a potential court appearance, you are strongly advised to call… now to buy a licence.” For what!?
This is an infuriating and invasive way of claiming someone is lying. They have a job to do, yes. But scaring honest people who never declined to co-operate in the first place? Epic fail, you’ll agree?
Tell us in the comments section below if you’ve been similarly harassed.
You can also read Andy’s initial reaction here.
