TV Licensing Goon Assaults

TV Licensing goons were assaulted 173 times over the last 3 years, according to information obtained exclusively by the TV Licensing Blog.

Using the Freedom of Information Act we asked the BBC to provide the following information: "1. The number of times TV Licensing agents (visiting officers, enquiry officers, enforcement officers or whatever name you use for them today) reported that they were assaulted in the course of their employment with TV Licensing.

"2. The number of times members of the public or the occupiers of private dwellings reported that they had been assaulted by TV Licensing agents."

The BBC's Rupinder Panesar, a name very familiar to us here at the TV Licensing Blog, disclosed the following information in response (BBC Reference RFI2021454):

• In 2018 there were 72 physical assaults against TV Licensing goons;
• In 2019 there were 60 physical assaults against TV Licensing goons;
• In 2020 there were 32 physical assaults against TV Licensing goons;
• In 2021 (to 31st August) there were 9 physical assaults against TV Licensing goons.

There are a couple of important points that we must highlight in relation to this data.

Firstly, the BBC has interpreted "physical assault" as "all forms of physical contact" that TV Licensing goons "perceived as a threat to their safety".

That does not mean all of these incidents actually happened, were significant, were reported to the police or resulted in further action against the alleged perpetrator.

We have seen cases in the past where TV Licensing goons have falsely screamed assault when the occupier of a property has used their legal right to physically escort them off the premises. We are also aware of several TV Licensing goons who have fabricated a tissue of lies simply because they did not like the attitude of the occupier of a property they had visited.

Secondly, the number of incidents in 2020 and 2021 are seriously impacted by TV Licensing's reduction in operations due to the covid-19 pandemic.

In response to the second part of our request, Mr Panesar confirmed that the BBC was not aware of any incident where a TV Licensing goon had assaulted a member of the public or occupier of a private dwelling they had visited.

We should clarify that that does not mean no such assaults have happened. Experience tells us that Capita, which holds the TV Licensing operations contract, is not always as candid as it should be when it comes to airing its dirty laundry to the BBC.

We are also of the opinion that the BBC often chooses to ignore the errant behaviour of TV Licensing goons.

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