THE owner of a Bradford takeaway pizza restaurant caught without a TV Licence has been ordered to pay a total £395 in fines and costs by magistrates.

Abid Hussain, owner of Di Niros, Allerton Road, was fined £175 for using a TV without a licence on the business premises.

He was also ordered to pay £200 costs and a £20 victim surcharge at the hearing at Kirklees Magistrates’ Court .

Any business which shows television programmes as they are being broadcast, whether for customers’ use or in staff areas, must be covered by a valid TV Licence.

Businesses found guilty are also required to buy a TV Licence at £145.50, or they could face a potential second prosecution.

A survey of more than 250 managers at UK firms, conducted with the British Chambers of Commerce on behalf of TV Licensing, showed that where a business needs to make cutbacks, 14 per cent would consider not paying for a TV Licence where one was needed.

Matt Thompson, TV Licensing spokesman for the North, 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."