The number of women jailed after dodging the TV licence has nearly doubled in a year so that more end up in jail than men for the offence.

The findings have put the Government under renewed pressure to reform the so-called ‘TV tax’ amid claims that it is making criminals out of mothers and the poor.

One expert has suggested that more women are caught out over the £145.50-a-year charge as they are more likely to answer the door and be willing to answer questions when inspectors call.

The number of women jailed after dodging the TV licence has nearly doubled in a year so that more end up in jail than men for the offence

Some 20 women in England and Wales went to prison in 2015 over their TV licence, up from 11 the year before, revealed figures released by the Ministry of Justice under the Freedom of Information Act.

Only one was aged under 30 and five were in their fifties. They served an average of 24 days each.

Overall, the number jailed after dodging the TV licence fell from 39 to 38 but women evaders now account for more than half of these.

By comparison, just 4.5 per cent of prisoners are women, meaning the number of female licence fee evaders is disproportionately high.

Seven out of ten prosecutions for licence fee evasion are against women, the figures also showed.

Former Tory culture secretary John Whittingdale called for the problem to be looked at with ‘great urgency’.

He said: ‘There is no reason why women would be evading the TV licence more so it is clearly the enforcement process which is disproportionately resulting in women being prosecuted.’

Calls for reform also highlight how people on very low incomes suffer because the TV licence is a flat rate. Any evaders who cannot pay fines are sent to jail.

Tory MP Andrew Bridgen, who has campaigned for reform, said: ‘It is a blatant injustice.

'It is a regressive tax and there is no relief. If you can’t pay your council tax, you can get relief but not your TV licence. In a large number of cases, they are criminalising the most vulnerable in society for the crime of being poor.’

One expert suggested more women are caught out over the £145.50-a-year charge as they are more likely to answer the door and be willing to answer questions when inspectors call

In 2015, an official review agreed the system was skewed against women but cleared the BBC of targeting them.

David Perry QC said there may be a ‘cultural phenomenon’ of women answering the door more often which puts them in the firing line.

Cases are brought against individuals not households, so ‘it is likely the person who first speaks to the inquiry officer is most at risk of prosecution,’ he added.

Every household has to pay the fee if they watch TV or the BBC iPlayer. Those found guilty of dodging the licence receive a criminal record and a fine of up to £1,000. If they do not pay and live in England or Wales, they can be jailed.

A TV Licensing spokesman said: ‘You cannot be imprisoned for fee evasion – this is only used by magistrates for non-payment of fines. The majority of first-time evaders are not prosecuted if they buy a licence before their court date.’