Four-letter rant greeted helpline callers

An irate customer who hacked into a cable TV firm's phone helpline and recorded a message telling callers to 'f*** off' has walked free from court.

Magistrates decided that the message, although offensive, did not reach the "grossly offensive" standard for prosecution and acquitted Ashley Gibbins.

He discovered by chance that he could change the recorded message so everyone who rang NTL's customer service helpline was met with the stream of abuse, Teesside Magistrates' Court heard.

The polite message asking customers to hold was changed to: "Hello, you're through to NTL customer services.

"We don't give a f about you, basically, and we are not going to handle any of your complaints.

"Just f*** off and leave us alone. Get a life."

The court heard how the taxi driver carried out the practical joke after being kept on hold for an hour while trying to order broadband for his computer.

His joke backfired when NTL complained to the police and he was arrested.

Mr Gibbins, 26, from Redcar, Cleveland, was charged with an offence under the Communications Act 2003 of making a grossly offensive message.

NTL declined to comment on the case.