THE licensee of a Cradley Heath pub caught without a TV Licence has been ordered to pay £684 by magistrates.

Laura Eden, licensee of Haden Cross Inn, Halesowen Road, was fined £440 for the offence of using a TV without a licence on the business premises.

She was also ordered to pay £200 costs and a £44 victim surcharge at the hearing on April 11 at Nuneaton Magistrates’ Court.

Any business that shows television programmes as they're being shown on TV, whether for customers’ use or in staff areas, must be covered by a valid TV licence.

Mark Whitehouse, TV Licensing spokesperson for the West Midlands, said: “We appreciate these are tough times for businesses, but to be fair to the majority who do pay the licence fee, we have to take action against those who watch TV illegally.

"As our survey shows, those businesses who do try to get away with it might find the price of being caught to be higher than just a fine."

He added: “We’d rather businesses think ahead and check if they need a licence than risk being prosecuted. A licence costs £145.50 and can be bought in minutes online at www.tvlicensing.co.uk/businessinfo.”