SWINDON bobbies have been banned from listening to music after Wiltshire Police refused to continue paying the licence fee to the Performing Rights Society.

The PRS is responsible for collecting licence fees from music users and apportioning royalties between songwriters and composers.

The force is to pay £32,000 to the society, backdated from June 2007.

In a letter to officers and staff, Wiltshire Chief Constable Brian Moore said he felt the public money Wiltshire constabulary would be forced to pay in the future would be better spent on policing.

He said: “It is not commonplace for music to be ‘publicly performed’ in our premises as part of our day-to-day business, but we are liable where it is played.

“This means that from today no further music can be played publicly in our workplaces to avoid the force being liable to charges.” He added: “I know that many of you will feel that this is a ridiculous situation. I agree.

“However, chief officers and I fundamentally object to paying a licence fee to PRS for music to cover Wiltshire Police premises.

“We also do not believe we should spend public money for a music licence that would be better contributed towards policing.”

Wiltshire Police is one of 11 forces in the country which do not pay the licence fee, whereas 38 do.

Staff can no longer listen to music played publicly from radios, televisions, websites and MP3 players. The regulations do not extend to vehicles.

Mark Milton, the director of resources of Wiltshire Police, said: “We can confirm that the PRS have requested a total payment of £32,000 in respect of a licence for the public performance of music within the force, a practice which the force has always discouraged but which no doubt occurs in every organisation to a greater or lesser degree.

“The Chief Constable has taken the view that the situation the force finds itself in is ridiculous but fully supports the law and the need for artists to receive appropriate recompense.

“It is not appropriate to discuss exact details of the period of back payment as it is felt that this is a matter for the PRS.”