Falkirk pubs warned they need ‘licence to thrill’ during Six Nations

It aims to send its officers on scouting missions to root out unlicensed venues during the tournament, whose games will be shown on BBC and ITV,

All businesses need to be covered by a valid TV licence if staff, customers or visitors watch or record live programmes on any TV channel or service (including online).

It also applies if they download or watch BBC programmes on iPlayer - and this applies to any device provided by the business.

Anyone caught without a valid licence could face prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000 plus costs.

In the last three years, TV Licensing enquiry officers visited more than 44,000 businesses across the UK, including pubs, takeaways, restaurants and sports clubs, to find if they were correctly licensed.

Fergus Reid, spokesperson for TV Licensing Scotland, said: “The Six Nations is one of the highlights of the sporting calendar, with many fans choosing to catch the live action at a local pub with friends.

“Our advice to landlords is to check whether they’re covered rather than risk being caught red-handed.”