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Story URL: http://networks.silicon.com/mobile/0,39024665,39123544,00.htm

Mobile bosses in phonebox sex card scandal
Westminster Council encourages some cold calling to uncooperative execs

By Jo Best

Published: Friday 27 August 2004

Westminster council has had enough with what it considers to be mobile operators' overly laid-back stance on prostitutes. The telcos aren't doing enough to stamp out hookers' cards in London phone boxes, say the council, so staff decided to mock up a few cards of their own - 20,000 to be precise - with telco bosses on them.

Instead of the usual 'blonde model new in town', the unfortunate recipients were treated to cards bearing business phone numbers of the heads of NTL, Orange, O2, Telewest, T-Mobile and Vodafone.

The cards will be given out to residents, businesses and charities. Those with strong opinions on the issue are encouraged to call the bosses and share their thoughts.

The councillors started the campaign after the mobile bosses refused to play BT-style ball with the streetwalkers, it said.

BT has been disconnecting the numbers that turn up on the ladies of the night's phonebox flyers since 2001. Back then, 98 per cent of the numbers were BT. Now, it's just five per cent because prostitutes have turned to pay-as-you-go and other mobiles.

The council has been requesting that the mobile operators follow BT's lead and sever the prostitutes' lines of communications and, according to Westminster, they've refused.

However, T-Mobile refutes the allegations that mobile operators aren't doing enough. The company says it has a "long-standing policy of barring phone numbers which are proven to be used for criminal activities" but is keen to bar numbers only in substantiated and legitimate cases.

A spokesman for fellow operator Orange added that new SIM cards can be bought for as little as £10, meaning prostitutes could change their numbers relatively easily and cheaply. Any change in number could also mean a rise in cards in circulation because the new number would have to be advertised, he said.

Kit Malthouse, deputy leader of Westminster City Council, said that if the bosses continue with their present 'do-nothing' stance, the council will press for changes in the law.