ALMOST 1,500 people were caught watching TV in Huddersfield without a licence last year.
Latest figures show that 1,450 people were caught in Huddersfield, 140 in Brighouse and more than 90 in Holmfirth.
The figure for Halifax is 1,040.
There were more than 15,210 people caught watching TV illegally across West Yorkshire and almost 400,000 across the UK.
But the average evasion rate remains at a low of just over 5%, meaning that almost 95% of properties are correctly licensed.
When they get caught they get a final chance to pay before court action is taken.
TV Licensing spokesman Tim Downs said: “It’s not fair on the vast majority of people in Huddersfield who pay their licence fee for some people to watch TV without paying. We try to give people every chance to get on the right side of the law, but ultimately if they fail to pay, we will take action.
“We take TV Licence evasion very seriously, and any householder or business caught watching TV without a licence can face a prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000.
“We do understand that some people may find it difficult to pay their licence fee in one go which is why we offer numerous ways to spread the cost, including monthly Direct Debit, which can be set up very quickly online, and a weekly or monthly cash payment plan.”
