The BBC is criminalising thousands of young people every year by prosecuting them for failing to pay the license fee, Government figures show.

Around 18,000 people under the age of 20 have been prosecuted in the last five years amid fears that the court action could be putting their futures at risk.

The news comes despite evidence that fewer than half of 16 to 24-year-olds watch the BBC on an average week, with many turning off the public service broadcaster in favour of streaming channels.

Andrew Bridgen, the Tory MP who has led the campaign to decriminalise the licence fee, said: “This could have a major impact on their life chances and their future employment prospects.

“Any involvement in a criminal prosecution is a bad start for young people. These statistics are deeply worrying for anyone concerned about the future of our younger generation."

The Ministry of Justice figures from magistrate court appearances also state that in the past children as young as 10 were prosecuted along with a handful of those aged between 12 and 14.

Between 2008 and 2016, the figures state that more than 400 teenagers were proceeded against for TV licence evasion. There have been no recorded prosecutions since 2016.