Black and white televisions are an endangered species in Thanet.

TV Licensing figures show the number of monotone sets have dropped by 12% in the last year to 12,000 in use nationwide.

Latest statistics show there are 10 still on the go in Margate - putting the town in the top 10 in Kent for monochrome viewing. There are six still viewed in Broadstairs.

In 2000, nationally there were 212,000 black and white licences issued, shrinking to 93,000 in 2003 and less than 50,000 in 2006.

A black and white licence fee is frozen at £49 until 2016. A colour licence is £145.50.

A colour licence is needed for a recorder plugged into a black and white set.

Gravesend is the top “black and white” Kent town with TV licences for 21 such sets.

Iain Logie Baird, associate curator at the National Media Museum in Bradford said they had a collection of hundreds of black and white sets there.

“There will always be a small group of people who prefer monochrome images, collect vintage sets or just don’t want to throw away a working piece of technology,” he added.