A REDDITCH licensee caught without a TV Licence has been ordered to pay £679 by magistrates.
Ian Bullock, of the Golden Cross pub, on Unicorn Hill, Redditch was fined £440 in his absence for the offence of using a TV without a licence on the business premises.
He was also ordered to pay £195 costs and a £44 victim surcharge following a magistrate’s review of the case on November 20, 2017 at Leamington Spa Magistrates’ Court.
Any business showing television programmes as they’re broadcast on TV, whether for customers’ use or in staff areas, must be covered by a valid TV Licence.
If there is living accommodation on the premises where a TV is also in use, this must be covered by a separate licence.
A licence is also needed if staff or customers watch BBC programmes on iPlayer on equipment supplied by the business.
Those without a valid licence are breaking the law and run the risk of a court prosecution and fine of up to £1,000 per offence, plus costs. Businesses found guilty are also required to buy a TV Licence at £147, or they could face a potential second prosecution.
Mark Whitehouse, TV Licensing spokesperson for the West Midlands, said: “We’d rather businesses think ahead and check if they need a licence than risk being prosecuted. A licence costs £147 and can be bought in minutes online at www.tvlicensing.co.uk/businessinfo.”
