THE owner of a Bolton fast food takeaway caught without a TV Licence has been ordered to pay £370 by magistrates.

Tarek Aldbes, owner of Valentino's Pizza and Kebab House, in Halliwell Road, Bolton, was fined £220 in his absence for the offence of using a TV without a licence on the business premises. He was also ordered to pay £120 costs and a £30 victim surcharge following a magistrate’s review of the case on November 8, at Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court.

Any business showing television programmes as they are broadcast on TV, whether for customers’ use or in staff areas, must be covered by a valid TV Licence.

If there is living accommodation on the premises where a TV is also in use, this must be covered by a separate licence. Those without a valid licence are breaking the law and run the risk of a court prosecution and fine of up to £1,000 per offence, plus costs. Businesses found guilty are also required to buy a TV Licence at £150.50, or they could face a potential second prosecution.

According to research, maintaining a positive reputation and being compliant with regulations is extremely important to businesses.

A survey of over 3,000 businesses, conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of TV Licensing, showed that 92 per cent of companies believe it's important that their business doesn't incur any fines or penalties.

The Harris survey also showed that 88 per cent said it's important to pay bills on time while 90 per cent state the importance of maintaining the same industry standards as their competitors.

Matt Thompson, TV Licensing spokesperson for the North, said: “We appreciate these are tough times for businesses, but to be fair to the majority who do pay the licence fee, we have to take action against those who watch TV illegally. As our survey shows, those businesses who do try to get away with it might find the price of being caught to be higher than just a fine.

“We’d rather businesses think ahead and check if they need a licence than risk being prosecuted. A licence costs £150.50 and can be bought in minutes online at www.tvlicensing.co.uk/businessinfo.”

TV Licensing is also reminding other businesses to make sure they are aware of their licensing requirements, to avoid the risk of prosecution and a large fine. In the last two years1, TV Licensing enquiry officers visited more than 31,000 businesses across the UK, ranging from takeaway restaurants and holiday parks to garages, hair salons and sports clubs, to confirm if they were correctly licensed.