Here we go again.....
This is going to be as good as the "freemen" rubbish....
Now then, not going to get involved in any daft conspiracy theories or any of that nonsense, just a few facts...
1, There is no such thing as a "tv detector van" It is complete nonsense. back in the 1960's, yes, you would see a van going round with an aerial on the roof. These things were NOTHING to do with detecting televisions though. They were to measure the signal strength, as, with a boom in new towns and people putting up "high rise buildings" they had to check the signal strength to see if they had to put up any more transmitters to rectify matters.
2, I was driving down the motorway once. [sometime in the 1990's i suppose] I saw one of these things going along, and, despite the blacked out windows, due the the direction the sun was shining i could see straight into it. Just an ordinary minibus complete with seats, despite the fact that it said "TV Detector Van" in big letters on it.
3, I saw one broken down once. Walked straight up to it pressed my face against the glass, and once again, an ordinary minibus.
4, Saw once just parked in a car park once; Needless to say, walked straight up to it and pressed my face against the glass, and once again, just a minibus.
Now, i am not condoning people not having a tv licence, i have not got one, but then i have not got a television either, but it is all a hoax.
If a shop sell you a television set, BY LAW they have to take your details and inform the licencing people, this is how they catch people. Other than that, they just threaten people and intimidate them. I personally know of a person that has a mental illness related to extreme anxiety. They have him so frightened, that he buys a television licence even though he HAS NOT GOT ONE [A television that is]
You do not need a licence to have a television, you could have every room in your house stacked to the ceiling with them. You ONLY need a licence if the thing is actually being used, OR is installed, ready for use.
They CAN get a warrant to search your house or vehicle to see if you got one, but ONLY if they have presented evidence ON OATH to a JP that they have "reasonable grounds" to believe that you have got one, AND that you are using it or have it installed ready for use. JP's do not give out warrants lightly and they would want to see the proof..... [which the television people have not got] If you wanted to be funny, you could go to court and ask them to prove to an expert that their "detector" was approved for this use and correctly calibrated. This would result in the case being closed as they could not do this cos there is no such thing. Imagine if the police claimed to have caught you speeding with a speed camera, but refused to produce the "evidence" or even the existence of such a device to the court, what you think would happen??
So far as i know the government are going to "decriminalise" not having a licence soon. That will make no difference whatsoever, as, all it means is that you will merely get a visit from an ordinary [useless] bailiff that you can safely laugh at. Until that is, they rack the costs up to above £750, and when they do, they will bankrupt you if the house is in your name.
All this "decriminalisation" is for is to unclog the magistrates courts and pass some work to the civil courts, not for your benefit..
Oh, and before i forget, the bloke that went to court was NOT NOT NOT found not guilty at all. He had a six months condition discharge and had to pay costs of £200....
john...