SPORTS fans looking forward to watching England take part in the Cricket World Cup are being warned to make sure they have a licence to watch the game.

TV licensing officers will be on patrol in Bolton and making house to house calls to catch evaders during the England v Canada match.

TV Licensing is also reminding businesses in Bolton that if they plan to let their staff watch any of the cricket World Cup matches on either office televisions or individual PCs they should check that they are fully licensed to avoid a hefty fine and the risk of prosecution.

Charlotte Hancock, spokesperson for TV Licensing, said: "Despite warnings that enquiry officers were in the area, over 320 evaders were caught in the Bolton area during the 2006 football World Cup.

"We would like everyone who wants to watch this summer's sporting events to be able to do so legally and without the risk of a trip to court and a hefty fine of up to £1,000 - and they will still have to stump up £131.50 for a colour licence if they require one.

"Our database of over 28 million addresses shows enquiry officers which properties have no record of a TV licence - so they know exactly where to pitch their visits."

It is illegal to watch programmes using television receiving equipment without a valid TV licence. For more information about TV Licensing visit www.tvlicensing.co.uk/info.