BBC humiliated as over £ 100,000 of devices stolen in past three years | UK | New UK News

Dozens of laptops, phones and cameras have been stolen from the BBC since January 2018, totaling more than £ 100,000. The results, obtained via an access to information (FOI) request, led the company to be accused of failing to protect the financial interests of television license payers.

Peter Jones, lead author of the TV Licensing blog, made the FOI request, which revealed that 58 phones, 52 laptops, 20 cameras and a computer were stolen from the BBC between January 2018 and May 2021.

A total of 132 items were stolen over the three-year period, with the value of all items amounting to £ 101,836.

This represents the sum of over 640 annual TV licenses.

Mr Jones criticized the BBC for failing to promulgate proper security procedures.

He told Express.co.uk: “At a time when the BBC is cutting services and imposing the £ 159 license fee on those over 75, it is truly alarming that failures in the company’s security procedures have allowed the theft of more than £ 100,000 of digital devices.

“This is further proof, as if necessary, of the BBC’s systemic inability to protect the financial interests of the television licensee.

“There really has never been a better time for people to cancel their BBC TV licenses and adopt one of the many alternative legal viewing methods.”

He also revealed that the company was unable to detail the number of items lost over the past three years.

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In 2020, when most BBC employees spent their time working from home, 16 phones, six laptops and four cameras were reported stolen.

This represented £ 13,190 of lost items.

So far this year, only one electrical device has been reported stolen, a laptop worth £ 2,000.

A BBC spokesperson said: “The BBC takes any theft incident very seriously.

“We are constantly reviewing our security policies to make sure they are as strong as possible.”