IT'S the kind of "promotion" Bolton as a town really doesn't want at the moment. But, we have obviously "earned" our leap up the TV Licensing 2000 League of Shame, from 42nd to 27th position.

This table exposes the worst 50 areas for licence evasion in Britain.

And Bolton has leapt up this unwelcome table from the end of last year, with what obviously amounts to determined avoidance to pay our TV dues.

From October last year until March this year, 1,966 licence evaders were caught in the Bolton area. Regional manager Doug Mullin says that he is "disappointed that evaders in Bolton are foolish enough to risk a visit to the local magistrates court and a heavy fine."

He points out that the Licensing authority offers many easy payment schemes, and that they use the latest detection technology. So, it seems senseless to avoid paying.

Bolton, however, certainly has form for trying to evade compulsory payments. A quick glance at the columns of council tax dodgers before the courts, also in this edition, reveals yet another area where people feel justified in simply ignoring bills.

Services

TV licences and council tax are only there to pay for the services that householders use every day. If those who failed to pay lived in power-free, TV-less bare huts on the Hebridean hillside, one could understand a lack of payment for services obviously not rendered.

But, these are local residents happy to enjoy the services on offer, but unhappy to pay for them.

While allowing for genuine poverty in the case of Council taxes, there is no way anyone would expect this kind of one-sided "deal" on offer in the local supermarket. But it's fine to apply the principle when it's for services you have had or plan to have.

The other perspective is simply that, if a number of people do not pay for particular services, then others have to find the money. And we all know that what happens next is that bills rise to make up the cash shortfall.