FIRMS in the south run the real risk of a trip to court if they allow staff to watch the World Cup on TV or desktop computers without a valid licence.

TV Licensing is warning businesses they face a fine of up to £1,000 if caught offside'.

It isn't the first time TV Licensing has targeted evaders during major sporting events.

Two years ago, as football fans at work and at home tuned in to Euro 2004, TV Licensing's team of enquiry officers caught more than 24,000 people watching without the £131.50 licence.

Spokeswoman Jessica Ray said: "We have a database of more than 28 million addresses, so our enquiry officers know exactly which unlicensed business premises to target.

"Whatever the kick-off time, our enquiry officers will be knocking on doors, so businesses should ensure they have a valid licence or they risk scoring an own goal in the form of a trip to court, a fine of up to £1,000 plus court costs, and they will still need to buy a TV licence if they need one.

"We always prefer businesses to pay for a TV licence rather than be prosecuted, so whether you work in an office, a building site, a hotel or anywhere else, there's really no excuse for breaking the law."

Stephen Alambritis, of the Federation of Small Businesses, which has thousands of members in the south, said: "With many companies planning to bring in televisions for their staff to watch the World Cup, we would urge all our members and other businesses to act on this advance warning and check they are correctly licensed."

To find out more visit www.tvlicensing.co.uk/business or call 0870 241 5590.