EXPOSED: BBC’S TV LICENCE BULLIES

From the Mail, February 27

During our investigation, bosses at Capita encouraged our undercover reporter to spy on homes and take money on the doorstep, telling him: ‘We will drive you as hard as we can to get as much as we can out of you because we’re greedy.’

Staff were offered bonuses of £15,000 a year to gather evidence to take as many people to court as possible, and hundreds had orders to catch 28 evaders a week.

Dozens of people contacted the Mail after our exposé telling of their ordeals at the hands of licence fee agents. Some of the people targeted included a student nurse, a parish councillor and a pensioner living in sheltered accommodation.

But in a letter to the BBC, Capita boss Andy Parker said: ‘We find no evidence to substantiate claims that the behaviours and comments featured in the Daily Mail are systemic and nor were they representative of the expected standards.

‘Equally, we have not identified any targeting of potentially vulnerable individuals. Finally, the review confirms there is strong management and governance in place to ensure standards are met.’

Mr Parker – who is due to leave Capita later this year – added that it may introduce new technology to make sure licence fee collectors stick to the rules.

BBC director general Lord Hall wrote back yesterday, saying he was ‘grateful for your assurances’, adding: ‘I expect Capita to take swift and appropriate action should individuals fall short of the conduct expected of them.’