PEOPLE who watch TV without a valid licence are targets in a new campaign.

Since TV Licensing's Target Zero campaign, 322 Blackburn residents have been caught out.

Mark Auslebrook, TV Licensing Northern Region, said: "The foolish few who persist in evading are becoming more conspicuous than ever, with an increasing likelihood of being caught. They still have to buy a licence and will face a hefty fine and a visit to the magistrates court."

In May, Target Zero's campaign involved special teams of inquiry officers who visited addresses in Blackburn, portable equipment which can detect evaders within seconds, even in high-rise flats.

The detection teams were also backed up by TV Licensing's computer database, which contains up-to-date information on the licence status of 26 million addresses throughout the UK.

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