THE BBC has announced that the ‘(dis)grace period’ for older viewers to adjust to the end of free licenses for the over 75s, will end on July 31 and the corporation will start chasing the 260,000 pensioners who have not paid the annual £159 licence fee.

Overpaid fat cats at ‘Aunty’ will be writing to all those who have not yet coughed up the fee, and customer care support officers will start visiting defaulters in August to put the screws on them.

Surely that should be ‘we don’t give a damn for our customers’ support officers?

So listen up old folks – if you don’t want to be carted off to jail or fined £1,000 – pay up, or else.

After all, how can the BBC be expected to afford the multi-million pound salaries it forks out to the likes of Gary Lineker, Graham Norton et al, if you are too mean to open your piggy banks and hand over what, after all, equates to little more than an hour’s pay for one of its fat cats?

The choice is simple. Want to continue watching BBC?

Cut down on the caviar and champagne, and turn down your heating.

I had thought that Tim Davie’s appointment as director-general would herald a whirlwind of reform through the corridors of Broadcasting House.

But thus far his ‘reforms’ seem to have been about as effective as a f*rt in a gale.

ROBERT READMAN

Norwich Avenue West, Bournemouth