Football fans who attempt to watch a World Cup game during a break at work could find themselves in breach of TV Licensing rules that risk costing them or their workplace up to £1,000.

With both England and Wales kicking off their campaign on Monday and many games being broadcast during the day because of the competition's Qatar location, workers up and down the country may be hoping to utilise lunch hours to catch a few minutes of playing time.

Both the BBC and ITV are to share the screening of matches, which will also be available to watch through apps ITV Hub and BBC iPlayer that are also owned and run by the broadcasters.

And you must have a TV Licence, which costs £159 a year, to watch or record any live television, regardless of the channel it's on and to download or watch programmes on BBC-owned catch-up services.

While employees may be able to use their own mobile phone, laptop or tablet to live stream a game while inside their workplace - providing their own home has a TV Licence - the rules get somewhat more complicated if the technology runs out of battery or has to be plugged in.

While viewers watching away from home and solely using their device's internal battery are covered by their own property's licence - the moment the screen needs plugging into the mains you are then required to have a separate TV Licence for the building you are in and whose electricity supply you're using.

This means that workers wanting to watch live a World Cup match - but who need to plug their phone or computer in to see the match - must be sure their employer and the building they are in is covered with its own television licence before doing so.

The TV Licensing website explains: "If your device is not plugged in (ie you’re watching or recording live TV programmes on any channel, or downloading or watching BBC programmes on BBC iPlayer, using devices powered solely by internal batteries) you will be covered by your home TV Licence.

"If you plug your device into the mains, you’ll be covered if that property already has a TV Licence. Otherwise, you’ll need to buy a separate TV Licence for that property."

Anyone caught watching, recording or downloading programmes without a valid TV Licence risks a fine of up to £1,000 and could also be liable for any legal costs and compensation they are also ordered to pay.

According to the TV Licensing website, an average of 1,000 people are caught watching without a licence every day, with officials using detector vans, its own database and visiting officers to ensure people are complying with the law.