TEN television owners are still watching their favourite shows in black and white... half a century after BBC One's first colour programme was broadcast.

Figures released by TV Licensing to mark the 50th anniversary of colour on BBC show ten people in Colchester are still watching in monochrome.

Across Essex, 220 black and white TV Licences were in force as of the end of September - down from 231 last year.

Unsurprisingly the number of black and white licences has declined considerably over recent years.

There were 6,586 in force across the UK at the end of September 2019, compared to 212,000 in 2000.

But despite the rapid growth of smart TVs, smart phones and tablets to access TV content, some households still appear to enjoy the nostalgia of monochrome TV sets.

They remain popular with collectors, with vintage and portable TV sets regularly traded online.

A licence is still needed to watch live TV and stream BBC programmes on iPlayer, even on a black and white TV or monitor, and costs £52.

But, if a black and white TV or monitor is used to download BBC programmes on iPlayer or to record any live TV, then a full colour TV Licence is needed.

Visit bbc.com/historyofthebbc/anniversaries/november/colour-television-on-bbc-one.