A WOMAN from Enham is calling on a major phone operator to change its directory system, after realising Andover is in the ‘wrong’ phone book.

Margaret Reichlim has been seeking answers from BT, because she says that Andover being included in a phonebook with Salisbury makes life difficult for residents.

She added that Winchester, Southampton and Romsey are all in a different book, and she recently needed this book to find Hampshire-wide services and numbers.

Margaret called BT, and after weeks of back-and-forth - and suggestion that she would need to pay £10 for a new book - she was finally sent the phone book she needed.

“We are simply in the wrong book! I have never been able to find out why Andover is in the Salisbury book - I gave up years ago!” she said.

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Margaret added that, when she asked BT why the decision had been taken, she was told it was due to Andover “being just over the border”.

“But what border?” she said.

She continued: “It affects so many people. As long as we have landlines, we need phonebooks, and we need the right one!”

When the Advertiser asked BT to explain the decision, and how residents can get around it, a spokesperson explained that the regions covered by the 168 books they publish were based historically on radio transmission areas, and have remained this way ever since.

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They added: “We are aware that some people who are close to a border of a book may not have all the numbers that they want in their book. There are instructions within the book about ordering a replacement or additional books.

“Information on how to order another Phone Book can also be found online at: thephonebook.bt.com/HelpAndSupport/Faq/ or customers can call 0800 833 400 (option 1) or email directory.products@bt.com.

“Given the possible overlaps between different Phone Book areas, it’s worth noting also that customers can arrange to have additional entries in multiple books.”

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