The British Broadcasting Corporation
Threatening Language: The BBC knocks on the door
From a notice left by BBC investigator in 2010.
"This is why we’ll call again.
We called at your home today but you were out, so we’ll call again soon. The reason for our visit is that we have no record of a valid TV Licence for this address. And we give priority to visiting unlicensed addresses where one of the following applies:
Although we’ve written to you several times, we haven’t heard back from you.
We’ve been informed that you’ve bought or hired television equipment.
You’ve not been accepted as a member of our cash payment plan.
Your licence has been cancelled and you don’t appear to have bought a new one.
We also visit the homes of people who have stated they don’t have televisions or only have a black and white TV sets to verify these statements. This is just a routine visit and should only take a few minutes.
What if you’d been in?
Please be aware that if you’d been found using a TV without an appropriate licence today, you’d have been cautioned and interviewed in line with the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (In Scotland interview and cautions are made in line with Scottish law). This interview may then have been used as evidence for your prosecution if you’d subsequently been taken to court. Prosecution might had led to a fine of up to £1,000.
Watching or recording television programme services without a valid licence is against the law.
Get a licence before you get another knock on your door."