New "invisible" TV detector vans hit streets

A new generation of "invisible" television detector vans has been deployed this week.

The new model, the 10th in almost 50 years, are the first to be designed with removable TV Licensing branding, so they look like "any other white van" on the streets.

"These new vans really are a case of 'now you see it, now you don't'," explained Vanessa Wood, TV Licensing spokeswoman. "Because we are able to remove the TV Licensing logo, licence evaders won't know we're in the area unless we want them to.

"50 years ago you could spot the first TV detector vans coming a mile off as the aerial on top was as wide as the van. This is the first time we have used covert vans and they will be only one part of our activities to target licence evaders."

Last year 440,000 licence evaders were caught. The organisation hopes that the new technology will help catch even more.

"The new vans are so powerful they can tell if a TV is in use in as little as 20 seconds. And once the television is detected, the equipment - which works from up to 60 metres away - can pinpoint the actual room that the television set is in," Wood added.

"However, the technology is so secret that even the engineers working on different detection systems worked in isolation – not even they know how the other detection methods work."

Anyone caught without a licence faces a fine of up to £1,000.