Culture Secretary reviews BBC powers to prosecute TV licence fee defaulters

CULTURE Secretary Lucy Frazer has taken aim at the BBC's use of "criminal tools" to prosecute people who fail to pay their TV licence.

- Steph Spyro

She will look at the prosecutions in an upcoming review, she confirmed yesterday.

When asked about a series of cases brought by TV Licensing, she said: "I don't think it's appropriate for the BBC to have criminal tools in its armoury in relation to prosecutions." Asked whether she thought there would still be a licence fee enforced by the Government in 10 years' time, she said: "It's something that we need to look at, and that's why I've launched a review into the funding of the BBC." The Post Office has also come under fire for its ability to act as a prosecutor in light of the Horizon IT scandal.