Using the Freedom of Information Act 2000 we asked the BBC to provide some more information about a TV Licensing goon hitting a member of the public.
The incident, which we wrote about last August, happened in the village of Carlin How near Middlesbrough. The video footage (LiveLeak mirror) leaves little to the imagination. It clearly showed the moment the elderly TV Licensing goon ran up to the occupier and struck his camera with a solid blow.
The BBC has just provided its response, which shows characteristic indifference to the goon's poor behaviour. Time and time again we have seen how the BBC apparently couldn't give a stuff about the antics TV Licensing goons get up to in the name of revenue generation.
The BBC retains legal responsibility for the collection and enforcement of the TV licence fee, but is very happy to pass the buck to its wayward contractor Capita whenever a TV Licensing goon behaves badly. The BBC maintains a distance from its TV Licensing brand so it can conveniently abdicate its responsibilities whenever the going gets tough.
The BBC retains legal responsibility for the collection and enforcement of the TV licence fee, but is very happy to pass the buck to its wayward contractor Capita whenever a TV Licensing goon behaves badly. The BBC maintains a distance from its TV Licensing brand so it can conveniently abdicate its responsibilities whenever the going gets tough.
An internal email from the BBC TV Licensing Management Team to the BBC Press Office said the following: "A video appeared on YouTube today where a householder follows a TV Licensing enquiry officer to his car and films the number plate. The officer then appears to push the camera away and the householder then accuses the officer of assault.
"We haven't had any request for comment, but we usually refer any enquiries about EOs' behaviour to Capita as their employer.
"If approached, our line with be that EOs are expected to follow a strict code of conduct."
Nothing much there, although notice how the BBC's TV Licensing Management Team are immediately playing down the idea of an assault. As we said, the footage speaks for itself. There is no doubt at all about the goon's actions.
Our eye is also drawn to a visit record form, which appears to show that the goon in question reported the fact he had been filmed. Spookily enough - and I'm sure the BBC, as masters of deception, would claim it was a genuine oversight - the goon appears to have omitted the fact that he actually hit someone during the same visit. Why might that be?
We are surprised at how little information the BBC has actually disclosed, considering they have been sniffing about this story for the past five months. That may be a further indication of how little importance they attach to TV Licensing goons behaving aggressively on the job. Just as long as the cash keeps rolling in, eh?
We are surprised at how little information the BBC has actually disclosed, considering they have been sniffing about this story for the past five months. That may be a further indication of how little importance they attach to TV Licensing goons behaving aggressively on the job. Just as long as the cash keeps rolling in, eh?
You can read the full text of our request and the BBC's response here.
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5 comments:
Bollocks to not naming him. Name the bastard so everybody knows who and what this bastard is. Fight fire with fire.
More and more the TV licensing system is falling into disrepute. It's not as if the money raised goes into something important like health or defence of the country. In the main, what is produced from these strongarm money raising tactics are programmes such as celebrity dancing and baking competitions.
Surely it's time the BBC was funded by voluntary subscription.
I deeply resent paying mine, considering the manure (most of its programmes) that gets shoved over the airwaves. The BBC's arrogance towards its viewers is certainly damaging its reputation.
Any so-called TV licencing official who flashes their ID card without giving you a proper chance to inspect it, and who acts in the same way this loony did, is a fraud, and needs charging for assault.
C[r]apita need disbanding NOW!
We as a country are to blame we write about a officer pushing a phone away and it I'd assault what about the 271 attacks and 89 dog attacks these officers are human they come to our homes because we have not paid. Think if you were on there shoes and you were attacked how would you feel all they ate doing is support there family
Assaulting TV Licensing goons is of course wrong and we in no way condone it.
However, we are aware of many cases where TV Licensing goons have run off and falsely claimed they were assaulted. Similarly, we know of one TV Licensing goon - a proven liar who has actually featured on this blog several times - who was told to bugger off from a property and set up the occupier by deliberately running into the side of his moving car.
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