THIS year, one attempted TV licence dodgers in Glasgow told an office they didn’t need a licence as they simply stole his neighbour’s signal.

One Dundonian dodger claimed they were too busy to speak to the TV Licensing Officer because their cat was in labour. And another in Edinburgh claimed they forgot about paying for their licence after their fish died, because they no longer needed to use their payment card to clean out the tank.

Now teams of animation students from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design are competing with five of the UK’s leading animation universities to turn the best of the nation’s audacious excuses into short films.

The films will be submitted as part of the TV Licensing Excuses Competition.

However, Scots dodgers (who face a £1,000 fine) aren’t alone in revealing a highly creative mind. A Northumberland viewer claimed a royal title as the King of Scotland, which they said guaranteed exemption. In Lincoln, another argued; “Yes, the TV is on but I don't watch it. It's only on for my parrot, Captain Jack Sparrow, who is learning the theme tune to Bargain Hunt.”

More than 40 excuses films have been submitted from students across the UK and can be seen, and judged, in the People’s Choice section of the competition on youtube.com/tvlicensing.