Free Press helps resolve BT bill anguish (From Free Press Series)

Free Press helps resolve BT bill anguish

A Pontypool business woman was astonished after receiving a £110 bill from British Telecom for removing a poster.

But the bill was then waived - just 24 hours after the Free Press intervened. Betty Norris, manager of BB Discounts at the Polo Grounds, New Inn, was left reeling by a bizarre series of events.

Mrs Norris claims she had no idea who put the poster on a lamppost at the Polo Grounds in the first place. The first she knew about it was when she received the bill to take it down.

"We had no idea about the poster fee until we had a message left on our answer machine from an engineer saying that he had removed the poster and we would be billed, but when I saw the charge I thought it must be a prank."

A spokesman for BT said that in these circumstances the company would usually give 24 hours notice and the opportunity to remove the poster.

But Mrs Norris claims she was not given the chance to take action.

The spokesman said: "We cannot tolerate our property bring defaced in any way. It is a health and safety issue as our engineers have to read vital information from the lamp posts.

"We were starting to clamp down on illegal use of our lamp posts but sticking posters to them has become so prevalent now that we have had to make a move to curb it."

Mrs Norris said: "I can't believe it. I am very relieved that the matter has been sorted out. The letter said that although they were legally entitled to charge me, they were willing to let it go this time as a goodwill gesture."