IN the words of Victor Meldrew: They just didn't believe it. TV licensing bosses wouldn't take no for an answer when pensioner Sheila Skellon told them she didn't watch the box.

She received countless letters from the organisation in the last five years, one even threatening to caution her and take court action if she did not get a TV licence.

But finally Mrs Skellon has received her long-awaited apology after TV Licensing officers confirmed she does not have a TV and doesn't need a licence.

Bosses say that 98 per cent of households own a TV set, and in the last financial year more than half of all people who claimed not to have a TV were found to be using one.

The 70-year-old first encountered problems five years ago when she lived in Redhill Drive. After two years of receiving letters from TV Licensing threatening fines and court action, Mrs Skellon got in touch with her solicitor.

"In the end I received a letter of apology. They said they didn't mean to harass me and upset me. They agreed I wasn't using a TV and didn't need a licence."

But in May 2004, when Mrs Skellon moved to a house in Western Avenue, Ensbury Park, she contacted TV Licensing to inform them she was moving and was still not watching television.

"I started receiving letters from them straight away," she said.

"I wrote to them numerous times to remind them I did not need a licence because I didn't watch TV. I even started returning them to sender. Still the letters kept coming threatening court action."

Eventually last week Mr Skellon was informed a block had been put on her address.

"I do hope this is the end of it," she said.

The pensioner added: "You cannot fight things like you used to. I couldn't drive after receiving a letter because I was so annoyed. It unnerves me. It is a silly thing but it is one of those things you get with maturity."

Mrs Skellon said: "I don't like watching TV. If I go somewhere and they have got it on, I go out. I can't stand it.

"I was taking to someone the other day and he has a black and white TV but the TV Licensing people don't believe him. He paid for a licence just to get them off his back."

A TV Licensing spokesman said: "We would like to apologise to your reader for any inconvenience caused.

"When someone informs TV Licensing that they either do not have a TV receiver, or that they don't use it to receive television (eg if they only watch videos), we visit the property in order to verify this.

"Unfortunately, our experience over the last financial year has shown that over half of all people who claimed not to have a television were found to be using one, and required a licence, when we checked the premises."

First published: August 18