TV licence fee dissenter given summons

A man who has refused to pay the TV licence fee on grounds of the BBC's "biased reporting" has been issued with a court summons by the corporation.

According to reports, retired engineer John Kelly has declined to pay the fee since 2002 due to what he perceives as the BBC's lack of political balance.

The 70-year has particularly pointed to the corporation's coverage of European issues, which he claims is not in compliance with the Royal Charter.

Last February, inspectors attended Kelly's home in Exmouth to ask if he had a valid TV licence, but were instead told to leave and consult his file on reporting standards.

However, Kelly will now have to plead his case in front of magistrates in Exeter on July 15, with a potential £1,000 fine if he is found guilty.

Speaking to reporters, Kelly said that he thinks the court summons is "not a random thing" and that he is being targeted in response to his ongoing campaign.

He said: "I think the BBC wants to crackdown on some of us to discourage more people from refusing to pay. There is a growing groundswell of opinion against the Corporation in the wake of the Jonathan Ross scandal and other things like expenses.

"My summons is not a random thing. I have a file two inches thick. Every time they have written threatening me, I have replied giving my reasons.

"Why they have picked on me now, I suspect, is because last October Charles Moore wrote in the Spectator magazine that if the BBC was still employing Jonathan Ross he would not renew his licence.

"I wrote to him to tell him of my experiences and he mentioned me. I was then quoted in other newspapers. Then it went a bit quiet until February."

Another TV licence rebel is former Soviet dissident Vladimir Bukovsky, who reportedly plans to attend Kelly's court day to show his support.

Despite this, a TV Licensing spokesman has warned: "Anyone caught watching or recording TV programmes without a licence risks prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000."