TV Licensing has released the top 10 excuses given by punters for being caught without a TV licence alongside figures on the number of evaders.
More than 256,000 people were caught watching a TV without a licence in the first eight months of this year.
And there were some fantastic excuses for why people hadn't bought a license, from accidentally toasting their payment card to being allergic to the sun.
We're led to believe by TV Licensing, that these excuses didn't bear scrutiny.
The top 10, as decided by TV Licensing, the body in charge of informing people of the need for a TV licence, is as follows:
1. "Since I had a bit of a fling with the postman I haven't been receiving my mail so I didn’t get my TV Licence reminder."
2. "No-one watches TV apart from the parakeet. It calms him down and stops him ripping out his feathers."
3. "I went to the PayPoint to pay for my licence, but I had to leave before I could pay as my kids were stealing sweets and I had to get them out fast."
4. "My Payment Card fell in the toaster so I had to iron it and now the PayPoint machine won’t accept it."
5. "I can't afford a TV Licence now as the repayments on my brand new car are cleaning me out!"
6. "I never got the reminders because my two year-old hides all my post in her toy box".
7. "I would have to sell my TV to pay for a licence so I can't do that."
8. "I don't need a TV Licence, I already pay for my electricity bill."
9. "I'm getting married and am too busy picking flowers, colours and things to buy a TV Licence."
10. "I cannot go out to buy a licence because I am allergic to the sun."
We suggest rather than thinking up an excuse, you should head to the TV Licensing website to check whether you need a licence and to find out how to get one.
