BORDERS MP CRITICISES HEAVY-HANDED TACTICS BY TV LICENSING

11.08.19am GMT Sat 24th May 2008

Borders MP Michael Moore has criticised TV Licensing after receiving a spate of complaints over their heavy-handed tactics in the region.

In recent weeks, Mr Moore has been contacted by a significant number of his constituents who are angry and upset at receiving intimidating letters from TV Licensing which threaten legal action and heavy fines. Many of the constituents affected are pensioners and some receive free television licences. In one instance, an individual received a total of 23 letters from TV Licensing, despite being eligible for a free television licence and repeatedly informing them of this fact.

Mr Moore, who has taken up the matter with TV Licensing, said:

"TV Licensing seem to completely disregard the notion of 'innocent until proven guilty'. Some people do not have television sets, full stop. Rather than continually harassing these individuals with ever more threatening letters, which is a total waste of time, effort and money, they should be re-thinking their strategy and focusing on the people who are genuinely trying to avoid paying.

"Even the tone of the very first letter that TV Licensing sends out to people is threatening, and then matters only seem to get worse, irrespective of whether the person concerned has contacted TV Licensing or not.

"If their adverts are anything to go by, TV Licensing can find out very easily if someone has a television set in their house. If this is indeed the case, why are they not applying this system in the Borders? Instead, they seem to have adopted a broad-brush approach that says that all my constituents are guilty.

"Their tactics are causing a great deal of anxiety and distress, and I sincerely hope that they will urgently re-think their entire approach."