Ruined castle 'sent TV licence demand'

Ruined castle 'sent TV licence demand'

The annual licence fee is £112

The owner of a ruined 11th Century Norman castle in Norfolk is reportedly facing a large fine because it does not have a television licence.

Mileham was last occupied in 1250 and is now home only to nesting birds and grazing cattle.

But the BBC's television licensing officers believe there is an unlicensed set amid the rubble, according to the Daily Telegraph.

The newspaper says owner Richard Butler-Stoney has received two demands for payment of £1,000 for having failed to buy a licence.

'Serious'

"Their letter was very serious," he told the paper.

"But we did have a good chuckle. They're welcome to come and chase it up if they want to."

The BBC is mostly funded by £2.3bn it receives annually from TV households paying the licence fee.

A spokesman reportedly told the paper: "There is no single list of buildings in the country so we have to try to make a list of licensable properties ourselves."