NURSE Karin Jazosch has been driven football crazy by fans desperate to see the England and Scotland Euro 2000 qualifier.

Karin's home in Marchwood has been beseiged by telephone calls from fans wanting tickets for the big game at Wembley. The calls got so bad that Karin, of Pond Close, had to leave a message on her answer phone and flee to her mother's home in Tidworth. She is now staying with a friend in Bishopstoke.

"It started at 8am and just never stopped," she complained. "People were surprised to get through and very apologetic. No-one was abusive. One chap, bless his heart, left his Access card number on the answerphone and asked me to send him a couple of tickets. I wish I could help them but I can't. I feel so sorry for people who wait all day to get through and when they eventually do they get me."

Tennis fan Karin, 41, who works at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital, Winchester, put the problem down to careless dialling.

The Wembley box office number given on the BBC's Ceefax service is 0870 7322006 but if callers in the 01703 area fail to dial the initial zero properly they went straight through to Karin's phone.

The nurse contacted the Daily Echo to put out a plea for peace and quiet. "I don't own a television and I certainly don't like football," she said.

It could be worse though. Karin works night duty and would normally be settling down for sleep during the day . . . if she wasn't enjoying a "relaxing" week off work.

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