TV licence bosses have today apologised after demanding payment from a dead war hero.

TV licence bosses have today apologised after demanding payment from a dead war hero.

Sharron Elliott, who grew up in Suffolk, became only the second female soldier to lose her life in the Iraq war when her patrol boat was blown up on Remembrance Sunday in November 2006.

But TV Licensing sent a payment plan in her name to her mother's address, causing upset to her family.

Sharron's mum Elsie Manning said she was angry after repeatedly trying to get her daughter's name off the register.

TV Licensing has apologised for the error and sent a bouquet of flowers.

Mrs Manning, of South Shields, near Newcastle, said: “It is very stressful on top of everything else we have had to deal with.

“I am absolutely beyond angry because they do not listen to me.

“They are now asking for her death certificate, but why should I send it for their stupid mistake?”

Mrs Manning said the TV had been bought by Sharron for use in the family home as a second set.

She said she already has a licence covering all TVs in the property under her own name. Colour licences cost �139.50 a year.

Within days of being alerted to the problem TV Licensing sent a bouquet of flowers and promised to sort it out once and for all.

A spokeswoman said: “We are very sorry for any distress caused to Mrs Manning as a result of receiving TV licences and payment plans in her daughter's name after her death.

“We normally require that requests to transfer a licence into someone else's name be made in writing, which we advised Mrs Manning on the two occasions that she called us.

“We understand that Mrs Manning has done this, but unfortunately we have no record of receiving this confirmation.

“However, to ensure Mrs Manning is not further troubled, we have now amended our records to show that the TV Licence for her address is now in her name.”

Sharron, 34, grew up in Hadleigh until 1998 and attended the town's primary and secondary schools. She joined the Army at the age of 18 as an aircraft technician and transferred to the Intelligence Corps.

Another three soldiers were killed in the same incident.

Sharron had been deployed to Iraq just a week before she was killed.

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