"A new phone privacy service was launched by BT today aimed at people who are sick of nuisance calls from salesmen," reports the Press Association.
The company is offering to register customers for the Telephone Preference Service (TPS), which bans companies and charities from contacting them with offers and information, as part of its free BT Privacy service.
"Consumers are fed up with being bothered by nuisance salespeople cold calling during the precious few hours they have to relax in the evening and at weekends. "Our customers are telling us that they don't want silent calls and some of them don't want to receive marketing calls."
As someone who's been on the sharp end of countless spam phone calls - particularly since moving home (and phone number) - I appreciate the offer. But I won't be taking it up...
Because people can already do most of this themselves in seconds at the TPS website. Log your phone number on the website and it should be lodged with the authorities - the number of unsolicited calls I've been taking has dropped to almost zero as a result.
