HOW TO BEAT PHONE PESTS

l REGISTER for the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) free on 03450700707 or at

tpsonline. org.uk. Firms will then be breaking the law if they make unwanted sales calls.

lT HE TPS today launches a free mobile phone a pp which rates incoming calls on a ‘trust score’ of one to five. Five means the caller is from a firm with low complaints. One means it is a suspected scam.

lB T customers can get its freeBT Protect service that won’t allow calls from nuisance numbers it is aware of. You can add 100 other numbers to your blacklist.

l SKY Talk Shield is free for its broadband and land line customers. I tasks callers to state their name then plays it back to you so you can decide whether to take calls. You can block up to 1,000 numbers.

lT RAD IN G Standards has 1,500 free True Call callblocking gadgets to give away to vulnerable people. You can also buy the device for £100 ( truecall.co.uk or call 0800 0 336 330).