I called cops to stop nasty BBC hounding my missing daughter for TV licence fee, says Claudia Lawrence’s mum
THE BBC is hounding Claudia Lawrence for her TV licence fee — 14 years after her disappearance sparked a murder probe.
The university chef vanished in York but demands still arrive at her cottage.
Distraught mum Joan, 79, said: “One threatened court action and a £1,000 fine. It’s unbelievable and needs to stop.”
The mum of missing chef Claudia Lawrence has called in police to stop the BBC sending TV licence demands to her daughter, saying: “They cause untold heartache.”
Devastated Joan Lawrence keeps finding the pushy letters on visits to Claudia’s terraced cottage.
She was 35 when she vanished on her way to work at York University. Claudia is presumed dead.
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Joan has preserved the home on her own since ex-husband Peter died aged 74 in 2021.
After a January letter threatened Claudia with court action and a £1,000 fine, Joan contacted the TV Licensing Authority, run by the BBC to enforce the fee.
But her pleas were ignored and another letter followed.
Joan told The Sun: “There was a letter recently, threatening a £1,000 fine if the licence wasn’t paid. It’s unbelievable.
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“I’ve written to them to tell them what’s happened, and the police are supposed to be sorting it out, but the letters still come.
“Receiving these letters causes me untold heartache.”
Incredibly Claudia’s disappearance, and an appeal from Joan, has even featured on Crimewatch — the BBC’s own show.
Joan added: “You’d think they’d know by now, after all the publicity, wouldn’t you?
“They must have sent two or three letters a year in all the time this has been happening.
“One was nasty and horrible. It threatened that not paying could affect her credit score.
“I’m not someone who has ever had any debts, I pay for things straight away, so it was an awful thing to read. It really must stop.”
Every two weeks Joan drives 30 minutes from her home in Malton, North Yorks, to check on Claudia’s cottage.
She added: “I always have a bad few days before I go because it’s emotionally draining. It then affects me for days after.”
Joan’s shameful treatment heaps more pressure on the BBC, whose reputation has been tarnished by the row over Match of the Day host Gary Lineker’s migrant tweet.
Last night critics slammed the demands sent to Joan, and renewed calls for the BBC to review how it targets non-payers. More than 52,000 people were fined following TV licence prosecutions in the latest figures from 2020.
And 76 per cent of them are estimated to be women. Campaigners argue women are overwhelmingly prosecuted as they are usually at home when enforcers call.
In January, BBC chairman Richard Sharp blasted the £159-a-year licence fee as a regressive tax, penalising the poor, women and pensioners.
He added: “In some ways it’s considered anachronistic because there are other countries that adopt other mechanisms.
"And there are a number of issues in terms of how we collect the licence fee from pensioners and also issues arising from people’s failure to pay the licence for example, with respect to gender issues, so it is imperfect.”
Last night Tory MP Kevin Foster said: “My heart goes out to Claudia’s mum Joan.
“It just gets worse for the BBC, it is simply impossible to justify these demands. If anything, it only advances the cause of decriminalising paying for a TV service.”
Fellow Tory David Morris said: “This is a disgrace. There are simply no excuses. Heads should roll.”
Culture minister Julia Lopez has told MPs there is growing concern the public is losing support for the licence fee.
Sunday marks the 14th anniversary since Claudia vanished.
The initial police probe, focusing on her love life, was widely criticised. A second probe was launched in 2013.
But by 2017 North Yorkshire Police admitted the 20-strong review team had failed to find a breakthrough.
Each investigation focused on her social life at the Nags Head pub, four doors from her home. Five men were arrested on suspicion of murder but nobody ever charged.
Detectives blamed a lack of CCTV, data and forensic evidence.
Remarkably, they also claimed they could not solve the case because people who know about it will not provide details.
Joan added: “I keep hearing the phrase that people don’t just vanish but I’m afraid that sometimes they do and to those left behind that is a terrible burden to carry.
"It’s the terrible uncertainty of not knowing and that feeling that at any moment she might walk through the door.
“There have been so many special occasions, birthdays, Christmases and family milestones that have passed since Claudia went and that feeling never goes away.
"If anything, over time, the pain of that separation gets worse. It certainly never goes away, however busy you keep yourself.
“But somehow I’ve learnt to live with it through the support of my community and friends and my faith. Somehow you just carry on.
"No matter how long this goes on I will never lose hope that one day she will come back to me. I need that light at the end of the tunnel.”
A BBC spokesperson said: “We are sorry for any distress caused to Ms Lawrence.
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"No letters sent to the unlicenced property have been in Claudia’s name.
“Since we were told the property is empty we have placed a hold on the address so no further letters will be sent, and this will not be removed until we are informed that the property is occupied.”
