An affair with the postman, a paranoid parakeet and an allergy to the sun.

Those are just some of the bizarre excuses dreamt up by people who failed to pay their TV licence last year.

TV Licensing revealed its list of top 10 tales as new figures show nearly 5,000 people in Kent were caught watching TV without a licence over the last 12 months.

Hot spots for licence fee evaders in the county include Medway, where 1,300 people were caught, and Thanet, where 800 tried to avoid paying the bill.

Genuine excuses for not paying up include:

• "Since I had a bit of a fling with the postman, I haven't been receiving my mail so I didn't get my TV licence reminder."
• "No-one watches TV apart from the parakeet. It calms him down and stops him ripping out his feathers."
• "I cannot go out to buy a licence because I'm allergic to the sun."

John Shaw, a spokesman for TV Licensing, said: "The serious message is that whatever your excuse, it won't cut the mustard with us.

"Unfortunately a small minority of people continue to try to evade the licence fee, but we're very effective in catching them.

"If you're caught watching TV illegally, you could face prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000. It really isn't worth the risk."

A colour TV licence costs £145.50 and can be paid in full or by monthly, quarterly or annual instalments.

Payment can be made by Direct Debit, online, over the phone, by post or over the counter at more than 20,000 PayPoint outlets.