Television licence evaders in Oxford are facing a knock at the door from investigators and a £1,000 fine as part of a new "stealth" campaign.

TV Licensing normally gives people plenty of prior warning before launching detection campaigns, but the latest crackdown could take place at any time.

About 1,800 people living in the OX postcode area have been caught without a licence in the past 12 months. Oxford is also in the top five per cent of the authority's national league for unpaid licences.

John Robinson, head of prosecutions for TV Licensing, said: "We've worked hard over the past year, looking at ways of improving our visiting activity. That has resulted in a 70 per cent increase in the number of prosecutions.

"We already have a good mix of campaigns that are working well, but we also wanted to introduce something completely different.

"The new stealth campaign, which has already begun, aims to catch evaders off their guard in a way that hasn't happened before.

"We cannot stress strongly enough that if you are watching television without a licence, it is just a matter of time before you get caught."

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