I know the media rarely take an interest in the 0870 scam, but has anyone got any bright ideas as to how to get the media to cover this? Imagine the headline:

"Police profit from Tube blasts"

I think the media would take more notice if they see the information has been obtained under the FOI. London's Evening Standard for example frequently use the FOI to obtain information for their stories.

I sent the following letter to The Times and the members of the Metropolitan Police Authority, with copy to the Mayor of London and the Metropolitan Police Commissioner:

The Metropolitan Police issued an 0870 premium rate revenue generating telephone number (08701 566 344) for enquiries about possible casualties in the London terrorist attack on 7 July 2005.  It costs at least 8p/min to call this number (twice as much from payphones)  which has to be paid even if the call is not answered by a real person.  Dialling this number twice in the afternoon of 7 July there was a recorded message played about the need to have details ready after which the line was cut.

It is reprehensible for a public body like the Metropolitan Police to profiteer from the concern and anxiety of people, especially since its Central Casualty Bureau in Hendon is staffed by volunteers (ref: http://www.met.police.uk/casualty/info.htm)

After both the 9/11 and the Madrid terrorist attacks the US and Spanish authorities provided freephone numbers for casualty enquiries.

A terrorist attack is not like a football match where the club has to pay for policing out of the revenue it gets from matches.  Costs arising from an emergency like a terrorist attack should be paid from central government funds.

Wide publicity has been given to pre-planning for terrorist attacks in London.  It follows that the 0870 casualty telephone number must have been part of long term planning.

It should be noted that UK non-geographic telephone numbers such as those beginning with 0870 cannot be dialled from numerous countries, which is acknowledged by Ofcom, and many of the enquiries would understandably be from abroad.

The members of the Metropolitan Police Authority should look into this matter and ensure that in case of similar future incidents a freephone number is provided for casualty enquiries

The manager of the Met Police Casualty Bureau will not be responsible for this decision.  It wil only be his role to ensure the efficient handling of the calls.  Trying to pass the buck down to the ranks seems to be standard tactics for senior members of the uk police force

The responsibility for this lies with the Commissioner of the Met Sir Ian Blair and/or with someone like Alisa Beaton as the Met's Director of Information (alisa.beaton@met.police.uk)

I'm writing a story for tomorrow's Daily Telegraph on this issue.
If you'd like to comment please email me on david.derbyshire@telegraph.co.uk or call 020 7538 6343.
David Derbyshire
Consumer Affairs Editor
The Daily Telegraph.

Hi just been speaking to the MPA press office.

Apparently PITO has the contract with C&W to provide telephone services for the police forces of the UK.
  www.pito.org.uk
(informationdesk@pito.pnn.police.uk)
020 8358 5555

The great thing is, there covered by the FOI.   
Ive allready sent in a FOI request, so I suggest everyone else does the same.

And what is the geographical number to which 0870 1566 344  'points'?

OK everybody these are the guilty people behind this whole unpleasant money making scam for the emergency 0870 call centre for the London bombings and this is where your venom and anger should be best directed, apart of course from complaining to newspapers, local MPs etc:-

www.pito.org.uk/aboutPITO/organisation/index.htm

This is where my complaint to the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police has now been forwarded and all of you should also attempt to direct your anger there.   

Can I suggest that you email the following senior management at Pito:-   

Chief Executive Officer - phillip.webb@pito.pnn.police.uk
Communications - martha.wooldridge@pito.pnn.police.uk
Operational Services - tom.mcarthur@pito.pnn.police.uk
Commercial              - alan.stanmore@pito.pnn.police.uk
Corporate Services  -          john.ellis@pito.pnn.police.uk
Finance & Legal       -          phil.dare@pito.pnn.police.uk   

See their website www.pito.org.uk for further information.

I suspect these people are also behind the Surrey Police's 0845 number for all contact although Surrey Police have not so far been kind enough to admit this to me.

The fact that these people have been inept enough to use an 0870 number for an emergency contact number of this kind leaves me speechless.

The Met still refuse to meet my demand that they immediately publish a direct geographic alternative to the 0870 emergency number.  They say it will take a number of weeks for Pito to answer my enquiries.

Thank you for all those that have supplied email address so that we can write.

I have emailed every single person mentioned in this post (even though I know that some have nothing to do with it) along with a couple of the newspapers and have written (not emailed) Tony Blair himself concerning the use of such a number.

Below is a general idea of what I wrote (it was tweaked here and there depending on who I sent it to). Quote:I am writing of my disgrace that our own government would choose a revenue generating number (0870) in order to profit from those that are worried about loved ones, etc. 

It is an absolute tragedy that this bombing has happened but I believe that our own government has added insult to injury in their use of an 0870 number for people worried to ring. 

The use of an 0870 number enables the department running it to earn revenue upto 4ppm (depending on provider) from us calling it. 

Calls to 0870 numbers can cost upto 8ppm from a BT landline and evn more from a payphone.  It can even cost upto about 35ppm to call from a mobile. 

In addition to this, OfCOM have even admitted people calling 0845/0870 numbers from outside the UK may NOT get through because some telephone carriers outside the UK do not support ringing UK 0845/0870 numbers.  Therefore, anyone outside the UK who has friends/family and loved ones, etc in London at the time may be worried sick and are not able to even ring the helpline. 

Also, the ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) have already ruled that anyone advertising 0845/0870 numbers have to mention the cost of these calls and they are not able to remain silent on the actual cost of calling these numbers. 

I would also like to draw your attention to the fact that in the USA they have issued a freephone number (1-800) for US residents who have friends/family in the UK to ring but here in the UK we don't get a freephone number or even a normal geographical number (those beginning 01 or 02) but instead get a 087 number where the government actually profits from us calling. 

I believe this is an absolute disgrace and I'm emailing all the newspapers about the governments use of such a profit-making number at the time of such tragedy.   

I realise I may have missed a few things but was just a general letter that I wrote in a hurry.  I shall post any constructive replies (if any) as I receive them.