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A huge number of people across the UK have been caught watching television illegally. The TV Licensing company warns it has a "range of detection tools at our disposal in our vans."

The company adds: "Some aspects of the equipment have been developed in such secrecy that engineers working on specific detection methods work in isolation - so not even they know how the other detection methods work.

"This gives us the best chance of catching licence evaders."

These detector vans can "detect the use of TV receiving equipment at specifically targeted addresses within minutes". The organisation also has a database of 31 million licensed and unlicensed addresses, which is readily accessible to any of its visiting officers.

In the year ending June 2024, a total of 28,542 were prosecuted for avoiding the TV licence fee. If you're caught watching, recording or downloading any programmes illegally, you could face a hefty fine of £1,000 and potentially end up in court.

If you watch or record live TV programmes on any device - be this a television, desktop computer, laptop, tablet, or mobile phones - you need a licence. This also applies if you use BBC iPlayer, whether for live TV or catch-up programmes.

However, if you're using other streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, ITVX, Disney Plus, or YouTube, you don't need a TV licence, unless you're watching live programmes through these services.

TV Licensing states on its website: "We write to all addresses where there is no TV Licence or a current declaration to say that one isn't needed. If you tell us you don't need a TV Licence, we will stop sending you letters.

"We may confirm this with a visit. We do this because we've found that when we visit and make contact, 1 in 14 people who say they don't need a licence actually do need one.

"Remember, a TV Licence isn't just for TV sets. It applies to any device. If you tell us your property is empty, we'll stop sending letters to your address for up to six months.

"If you have just told us you don't need a licence and then receive a letter from us a day or so after, this is usually because our records are being updated. You don't need to respond".

The cost of a colour TV Licence currently stands at £174.50. There is speculation that the fee may increase in April, but this has not yet been confirmed by the Government.