Peterborough has topped the TV licence-dodger's league of shame for the third year running.
Shockingly, despite warnings of detection campaigns aimed at making evaders pay up, more than 1,000 people were caught watching TV illegally in just six months.
According to figures released today by TV Licensing, Peterborough is still a blackspo
t for people craftily watching their favourites, such as Coronation Street and the big sporting events, without buying a licence.
The latest figures show that a whopping 1,014 people were caught during the first six months of 2008 and faced prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000.
Once more, it shows that Peterborough has more dodgers in East Anglia than both Norwich and Cambridge.
Enforcement officers from the licensing authority have access to a database of more than 28 million addresses, allowing them to see who has a licence and who does not at the touch of a button.
They also use sophisticated detection equipment in a variety of vehicles. The technology is so powerful, officers can even tell what channel is being watched by people on their rounds.
Enquiry officers also have access to sophisticated detection equipment, including hi-tech handheld detectors, which were launched a year ago this month.
TV Licensing spokesperson for East Anglia Mark Whitehouse said: "No town or city wants to appear in TV Licensing's league of shame.
"Buying a TV licence is simple and can be done in minutes online, so there's no excuse for licence-dodgers in Peterborough letting the side down.
"TV Licensing's powerful database shows precisely which properties are unlicensed, meaning enquiry officers can target addresses where they suspect people are watching TV illegally. But we would much rather people buy a licence rather than risk prosecution and a fine, which is why we offer a range of convenient ways to pay.
"For more information about how to spread the cost of your licence, go to www.tvlicensing.co.uk/info"Nationally, TV Licensing has caught more than 209,000 evaders since the start of 2008. Norwich takes second place in the league of shame with 721 evaders and Ipswich came third with 551 evaders.
The full article contains 368 words and appears in Peterborough ET newspaper.
