Call centre worker bombarded female customer with amorous texts

The telecommunications company BT has taken disciplinary action against a call-centre worker after he bombarded a female customer with amorous text messages. The woman rang the company to set up a landline at her hew house and spoke to the worker to arrange an appointment for an engineer to visit the home she shares with her boyfriend in Portsmouth, Hants.

After making the appointment, she was puzzled when he rang back and asked where she worked and what she was doing that day. Shortly afterwards she began receiving text messages from the worker, who called himself Hemant and was based in India.

In the initial message, which came from an Indian mobile number, he told her she had a "wonderful" voice. It read: 'Hello, Hemant this side with whom you spoke two hours ago regarding ur BT order. "U must be thinking dat why I called u up second time without any reason of the call but to be honest I got attracted towards u and ur wonderful voice. Can I be ur friend?' The messages, which continued, were peppered with kisses, and wished her "sweet dreams."

The woman, a microbiologist, who asked not to be identified by name, said: "The messages were inappropriate and very creepy. I felt as if I was being stalked. I was left feeling scared and violated and I am worried he is still able to access information of female customers."

One of the messages read: 'As precious as u r to me, as precious only few can ever be, I know all friends r hard to choose but u r someone I never want to lose. Take care xxx.'" He further wrote: 'Relationship is not a business where u give when u get. It's a beautiful feeling for someone, where u like to give even if you don't get xxx.'

Another message, which was sent later that evening, read: 'Let my friend get the sweetest dreams. Good night!' The messages only stopped when the woman's concerned boyfriend rang the BT worker and told him he was reporting him to police. BT has sent the woman, who has also lodged a complaint with Hampshire Police, flowers and made an offer of £250 pounds. A spokesman could not say if the employee had been sacked.