Hundreds of people have been prosecuted for TV licence evasion in Norfolk – and almost three quarters of those were women.
Ministry of Justice figures reveal there were 207 adults prosecuted across the county in 2022 with 140 women.
It comes as the TV licence increased to £169.50 this month, up from £159.
A TV licence is a legal requirement for anyone wanting to watch live TV on terrestrial channels, or online streaming.
READ MORE: What is the BBC licence fee and how could it change?
Those without a licence can be fined up to £1,000 plus legal costs and in some cases additional compensation.
Last month a 28-year-old woman from Sprowston appeared before Norwich Magistrates’ Court for not having paid the licence fee while a 61-year-old woman from Norwich launched an appeal arguing she had been incorrectly prosecuted.
You cannot be sent to prison for a TV Licensing conviction but courts can decide to send you to prison for deliberately refusing to pay fines.
The threat of being jailed has long proved controversial and is currently being examined as part of a review into the future of the TV licence as a way to fund the BBC.
READ MORE: Morally indefensible' TV Licence prosecutions under review
Announcing the review, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said: “It will specifically look at the issue of criminal prosecution of the licence fee – something I personally feel is morally indefensible in modern times – an issue that can only be changed at the charter review.”
Tom Franklin, chief executive of the Magistrates’ Association, said the organisation was concerned prosecutions disproportionately affect women.
He said women are more likely to register as heads of household or are more likely to be home during the day, therefore more likely to answer the door to inspectors.
"What we are clear about is that a better understanding is needed of what is behind the disparity, and then action should be taken to address it going forward," he added.
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