'˜I lost my payment card in my leg's plaster cast' - Yorkshire's TV licence excuses

The region’s most imaginative excuses saw another Wakefield man claim he didn’t watch television because: “Me and the wife make our own films. We’re in the bath at the moment so go away.”

Another man from Yorkshire reckoned he only used the television to drown out the noise of his neighbours arguing all day, while someone else claimed: “It’s only the kids who watch TV and they only watch on their Kinder Eggs.”

One resident claimed to be homeless - despite the fact they had answered the door to their property - and one person claimed to be exempt as he was the King of Scotland.

Matthew Thompson, TV Licensing spokesperson in the north, said: “We’re impressed with the creativity some people show when coming up with an excuse but it’s important to remember that watching or recording live TV without a licence is against the law. Even though we’re effective at catching evaders, we’d always prefer people pay than risk a maximum £1,000 fine. For those who may find it difficult to pay in one go, we offer a range of payment options to spread the cost.”

The excuses have been revealed as part of a national competition to find some of the most dubious explanations. Students from universities across the country have bought the excuses to life in animation videos, which will be judged by a panel of animation industry experts.

Other excuses from the region have included:

“I don’t need to buy a licence because I am getting married.”

“I was too busy with the bingo to set up a TV licence.”

“I am a vicar, part of the clergy. Why do I have to pay?”

“I have a black and white licence. I only turn the colour on when my granddaughter comes and puts the music channels on, then I turn the colour off when she has gone.”

View and vote for your favourite animation at youtube.com/tvlicensing.

To check if a licence is needed, visit www.tvlicensing.co.uk/info or call 0300 790 6112.