MP's digital protest

This is despite a Government commitment to provide at least 99.4 per cent of the population with reception.

Some constituents, he said, are facing no alternative but to pay twice over and buy Sky TV to get digital channels.

Freeview, the BBC's digital terrestrial television service, is currently available to three-quarters of the population.

But a map of coverage from the Heathfield transmitter which transmits to the vast majority of the constituency shows that swathes of East Sussex receive either poor coverage or none at all.

The map shows that Newhaven, Polegate and Seaford are not covered by the Heathfield signal and there is only a 50-50 chance of getting one in Lewes.

An online postcode search by Mr Baker confirmed that his constituency office in Lewes High Street cannot get reception.

He told the Express: 'Many of my constituents are being hit by a double whammy.

'They pay their licence fees which entitle them to the benefits of new services but find that they cannot get digital reception.

'They then have to fork out more cash to get digital services via Sky. Why should they have to pay twice over?

'The BBC must ensure that it meets the Government's pledge to get 99.4 per cent of people receiving digital signals by 2010.

'The gaps in coverage in my constituency and all the way along the south coast need to be plugged if there is to be equal provision of this service.'

A BBC spokesman said the Freeview terrestial digital service was in fact a consortium of the BBC, Sky and Crown Castle.

The problem was that if the Freeview frequency was turned up, it could interfere with normal TV frequencies.

Hence the relatively poor coverage.

In some cases an aerial upgrade might help. But users should first make a postcode database check which could be done through retailers.