Minister pledges to solve problem

Mike O'Brien has promised to look through some of the cases of people whose lives have been blighted by the calls - an issue highlighted in the Daily Echo and by Radio Solent.

The Minister of State for Education and e-commerce, responsible for telecommunications, said he would go to Ofcom, the regulator for the country's communications industry.

In particular, he wants to see how the watchdog could make sure that all calls can be traced by the person. On the Mr O'Brien case he heard first hand from 69-year-old Sheila Hill of Winchester Road, Fair Oak, whose call to Radio Solent about silent calls sparked the campaign.

After her private one-to-one she said: "I told him that I thought the calls were a real nuisance and that for elderly people they could be very traumatic.

"He said there was legislation already against these sort of calls but I told him I did not think it was strong enough.

"I hope the meeting will help the campaign gather momentum. I cannot believe the way it has taken off and that I have been to the Department of Trade and Industry and met a government minister."

Radio Solent presenter Jo Palmer said she was encouraged by the meeting and the minister's pledge.

"He said that the response to the campaign with 3,000 e-mails sent into the radio station gave him a very good opportunity to take things forward."

Under new powers introduced in July last year Ofcom has the power to fine companies and individuals who persistently misuse the telephone network.

But not a single fine has been issued to telemarketing firms and other companies that use the predictive dialling computer systems.

The software is used to increase productivity but means that more numbers are dialled than can be dealt with by staff, resulting in hundreds of abandoned or silent calls every day.

The Daily Echo is backing Radio Solent's campaign for new legislation that will make it illegal for direct telephone marketing companies to over dial.