I find the hectoring tone of the adverts exhorting us to buy a TV licence quite offensive and I particularly regret the fact that one of my favourite comedians is doing the voice-over.

I question their claim to have a database of every address in Britain with a licence. If this is the case, why do I get a letter every time one of my non-resident children gets a TV (giving my address to match the one on their credit card) asking me whether I have a licence?

I also deplore the harassment of people I know who have given up their TVs, sometimes just because they can't afford a licence. The authorities seem unable to believe them and bombard them with communications about their failure to buy one.

I was cheered when I heard of a hefty fine that one such person was instrumental in getting levied on the authorities due to this behaviour, even though of course we, the consumers, end up paying the fine.

Why can't we have a system of opting out of watching the BBC? As a city with two universities, wouldn't it be great if someone at one of them could invent a device to jam BBC reception?

That would certainly put us on the map, for the right reason for once.

  • Val Cane, Queen's Park Road Brighton