Young Fifers warned over watching BBC without TV Licence

They were all aged between 18 and 25 .

They were visited by TV licensing officers over the past year.

Despite the explosion in popularity of smartphones and tablets, a television is still the most used device for students watching live or recorded TV, with nearly two thirds taking a set to university.

For those watching BBC iPlayer, most are using a laptop.

You may also be interested in:

Fife hotel named world’s best destination wedding venue at global awards ceremony

Young disabled man’s plea to be able to move into his own home

Burntisland scouts celebrate 100 years with open day

Fergus Reid, spokesman for TV Licensing Scotland, said: “Students will now have settled into their new term and every year myths circulate around about when you do and don’t need a licence.

“Most students own at least one device capable of showing live TV or watching BBC iPlayer - such as a laptop, smartphone or tablet computer – it’s important they know the law around being correctly licensed.”

TV Licensing makes more than 7,500 visits across the UK a day, focusing on unlicensed addresses where occupants have ignored previous attempts to make contact.

Not all visits lead to prosecution and the majority of first-time offenders are not prosecuted if they buy a licence before their court date.

With 84 per cent of UK undergraduates aged 24 and under, TV Licensing is reminding them that they risk facing prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000 if they are caught watching live TV, or BBC programmes on iPlayer without a valid TV licence; this includes any device, not just a TV set.

Students can check if they need a licence HERE www.tvlicensing.co.uk/studentinfo or by calling 0300 790 6113.