PENSIONERS in York could be denied a free television licence because it is so difficult to get through to a helpline which has been set up to help them claim one.

Some callers have claimed that the newly-established television licence helpline is constantly engaged, and pensioners say they cannot afford to stay on the line when they are told to wait for a reply.

People aged over 75 are being urged to telephone the helpline to claim a free television licence, but callers said they were having to hold the line for a number of minutes before they finally got through.

Pensioners say they do not have enough money to stay on the line to be answered as it is charged at normal national telephone rates.

The Evening Press tried to get through to the service, but, after being told to hold the line, had to wait for three minutes before getting any reply. Mary Berry, of Tang Hall, said she had tried to get through on ten separate occasions and had now given it up as a "bad job".

She said: "I held on as long as I could but I just couldn't afford to stay on. You don't know how long you are going to be on the phone for because they keep telling you to hold the line.

"I would have thought that a lot of people would be ringing up to inquire so they need to have more lines."

Daisy Young, 80, of Dringhouses, said: "I've tried to ring them all morning but I still haven't got through.

"I've tried and tried but all I get is an answering machine. I'm a pensioner and I cannot afford to stay on the line."

A spokesman for the helpline, run by TV Licensing, said that the helpline was very busy but that people who ring should normally be able to get through quite quickly.

However, he advised people to ring the line and stay on it rather than putting the phone down and trying again later.