Brighton has lost its status as the worst place in the South-East for TV licence dodging.
A total of 1,046 people were caught using a television without a licence last year, compared with 1,497 in 2002 - a figure which placed the city top of TV Licensing's South-East "league of shame".
Brighton is now seventh, though it remains the worst in Sussex, where 5,307 fee-dodgers were caught overall.
Crawley comes next with 467 evaders, followed by Eastbourne (446), Worthing (390), St Leonards (317), Hove (246), Littlehampton (205), Haywards Heath (86), Hailsham (68) and Chichester (57).
TV Licensing spokeswoman Vanessa Wood said: "Although this is perhaps the only league where it's good to be relegated, evaders in Brighton are still losers because they have been caught breaking the law.
"It is unfair to the majority of people who have bought a licence that this unwanted accolade has been awarded to their city."
The South-East league of shame is now topped by Milton Keynes (2,238), followed by Southampton (1,948) and Luton (1,657).
TV Licensing introduced detector vans to Brighton last June.
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