Archive - Thursday, 6 February 2003


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Phone book blunder angers traders

TELECOMS bosses launched an inquiry today after an Evening Press investigation revealed embarrassing gaps in the much-vaunted new BT phone book for York.

The city was the first in the country to get the new-format phone books, which are billed "the only one you need" and incorporate a Yellow Pages-style classified section.

But many traders in Ryedale do not appear in the listings, leaving them furious and fearing they will lose business.

A spokesman for BT today expressed concern at our findings, and promised an investigation.

Thousands of the new-style books have already been delivered to residents in the York area.

Although Malton and Norton businesses appear in the traditional A to Z business section, many are not in the yellow classified directory at the front.

Malton town councillor Chris Harding said he first noticed the discrepancy when he used the book to look something up.

"I could not find what I was looking for," he said.

"I looked up one or two other things like builders and garages and they were not there.

"You get a lot of trade from people looking up in the yellow page section, and this has to be bad for traders.

Updated: 11:45 Thursday, February 06, 2003