A BLIND man says he has been left scared and intimidated in his own home, after months of harassment by the TV Licensing agency.

Chris Mills, 26, has been completely blind from birth and therefore has no interest in television programmes - and does not even own a TV set.

Despite this, he has been inundated with letters from the TV Licensing agency threatening to send enforcement officers to his Carlisle flat if he doesn’t pay for a licence.

“It’s borderline harassment really,” he said. “If they’re going to come and investigate then actually do it - rather than just threatening me with something that never happens.

“It’s really horrible. My flat has buzzer entry and it’s now got to the point where when ever anyone presses the buzzer, or if I hear a van going past either late at night or in the early hours of the morning, I immediately start to panic.

“I am always worrying it is an enforcement officer.”

Mr Mills admits he has been left frustrated and concerned.

“Obviously, being blind I wouldn’t just go opening the door to people because I can’t see their ID or anything,” he said.

“This is basically bullying somebody that is actually vulnerable.”

The letters began last year when Mr Mills first moved into his flat in the city centre.

Initially, they were enquiring whether the property had a TV licence, and Mr Mills dutifully informed them it didn’t as he doesn’t have a TV - nor does he have any interest in having one.

“They said that was absolutely fine, but then for months on end I have been getting letters threatening me with enforcement officers,” he said.

“They’re saying if I don’t get correctly licensed, they are going to investigate my address and they keep saying that but never turn up.”

Upon request for proof of disability, his support worker provided the agency with his blind registration card and medical documents outlining that he has optic dysplasia and panhypopituitarism.

Mr Mills continued: “I have been on the phone to them loads of times and they are always quite understanding, but then they still keep sending the letters through.

“I have been contacting them repeatedly, and the threatening letters keep coming through my letterbox.

“I feel like I’m going round and round in a vicious circle. I don’t feel like there will ever be an end. It just goes on and on.

“I feel really intimidated and scared in my own flat because of these constant threats - nobody should ever be made to feel like that. The more letters I get, the worse it makes me feel.

“You just want these annoying letters to stop, and for them to stop bullying people. I just wish they would leave me alone.

“I just want it to come to an end.”

He is now calling for a change in in the licensing system, so that disabilities or people who have declared they have no licence can be registered.

“There shouldn’t be all this hassle,” he added.

In his spare time, Mr Mills listens to the radio and plays a number of musical instruments such as the accordion and the Highland pipes and says he therefore has no need for a television.

“A simple radio is more than enough,” he said.

A spokesman for TV Licensing said: “We are sorry that Mr Mills has received letters designed for unlicensed addresses in error.

“We are investigating the reason for this and will be contacting Mr Mills personally to offer our apologies for any concern caused.”