Protection against nuisance callers

A NEW service has been unveiled to protect mobile phone users against unwanted voicemail messages and marketing phone calls.

From early 2011, consumers will be able to add their number to an official black-list, banning cold-callers from reaching them on their mobile.

Marketing firms would face fines if they continued to call a number that appeared on the list.

The government is also taking action against spam voicemail messages and missed calls from 08 numbers, which encourage the recipient to call a premium-rate number.

These messages can now be reported by calling 33700 from your mobile. The number already works for reporting spam text messages.

Business Minister Hervé Novelli said 787,000 people had used the text spam service since it launched in November 2008 and 790 fraudulent phone numbers had been shut down.