Virgin Media cuts off pensioners' service after they refuse to pay £900 porn film bill

Ann and Ron Hayward said they had never ordered or watched any pay-per-view adult movies

Virgin Media said the films were "unquestionably watched by someone in the Haywards’ home" (GETTY IMAGES)

An elderly couple who were sent bills for TV porn totalling nearly £900, have said they will not pay a penny.

Ann Hayward, 72 and her husband Ron, 75, face having their TV service cut off by Virgin Media but they insisted they had never ordered, let alone watched any pay-per-view adult films, the Manchester Evening News reported.

The couple first hit the headlines in 2009 and 2012 when they refused to pay demands for £190 and then £500 for adult movies. Virgin waived the bills and agreed to remove the “on demand” feature.

But earlier this year Mr and Mrs Hayward upgraded their service and took delivery of Virgin’s “TiVo box”, which enables customers to record up to 500 hours of TV programmes. They also agreed “reluctantly” to reactive their “on demand” service.

Virgin staff recently called the couple to tell them they had viewed dozens of pay-per-view adult films and would be a getting a new bill for over £200.

When the pair again refused to pay, Virgin bosses said they would halt their £80-a-month service - including TV, broadband and television - in May.

Retired nursery nurse Ann, who has five sons and 16 grandchildren, insisted neither she nor her husband, a former HGV driver, had ordered any films.

She told the Manchester Evening News: “I told them they can take me to court. I’m not paying a penny.”

The couple said they were invited onto a Virgin customer focus group to discuss their previous problems but the offer was withdrawn.

During an exchange with an official at Virgin’s Wythenshawe office, the pair said they “reluctantly” agreed to have the “on-demand” feature turned on again.

Ann said: “I was told everything would be alright and not to worry. We got a message coming up on the TV saying ‘channels unavailable’.

“It worried me so I called up and the next day I was told I’d ordered more than £200 of films. I was in shock. I couldn’t believe it was happening again. No one else comes in here. There’s obviously something wrong with the technology.”

Virgin Media spokeswoman Dana Hashem said: “These films were unquestionably watched by someone in the Haywards’ home. We are happy to arrange a payment plan but have said they may want to find an alternative provider going forward.”