Wool shop owner gets the needle as BT cut her off

The first cool weather of the autumn and the nights drawing in historically triggers a rush of knitters starting new projects.

Marilyn, who has been in Matthew's Wool Shop, Firth Park, Sheffield, for 48 years, knows the drill by heart.

And as an added bonus this year she was anticipating an influx of new customers after the closure of a rival shop in Doncaster. But still the phone stayed mute.

Then a customer said she'd tried dialling but the line was dead.

Marilyn contacted BT and was told the number she'd had for 30 years had been exported to another company following a transfer request she says she knew nothing about.

BT promised to reverse the action but warned it could take up to six weeks, and gave Marilyn a temporary landline number. But more than a week later the problem is still not fixed.

Marilyn said: "I'm absolutely desperate, I've no idea what I've lost, I just know they couldn't have picked a worse week.

"The landline number is painted on the shop front and I had no desire to change, I'd made no approach to another company.

"I didn't want to move, I'm a actually a very loyal BT customer, and I can't believe what has happened."

A BT spokesman said Marilyn would have her old number back in the quickest possible time allowed by law - which is 10 days.

He added: "We would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused but the 10 days is a statutory minimum. We will be conducting an investigation."

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