Lancashire company fined £850k over millions of nuisance calls

The National Advice Clinic – which also trades as the Industrial Hearing Clinic or the Central Compensation Office – made nearly six million calls between October 2014 and April 2015 about noise induced hearing loss claims.

Many of those called were registered with the Telephone Preference Service – which tells companies that they did not want to receive such calls.

The Accrington-based firm has now been fined by the Claims Management Regulator.

Babs Murphy, chief executive of the North & Western Lancashire of Commerce, said: “It’s heartening to see that companies who carry out this sort of practice are being clamped down upon.

“Tactics such as these can reflect badly on businesses who carry out customer consultation in a fair and proper manner.

“It can only be hoped that organisations which carry out similar tactics take note of this punishment and either change the way in which they operate or face the consequences.”

Tony Haslam, from Lancashire Trading Standards, said: “If you’ve been receiving lots of cold calls, don’t just put up with it, please report it.

“If the scale of the problem is known, it will give a good picture of what’s happening and action can be taken to stop the nuisance.”

Gazette readers plagued by cold calling also welcomed the fine.

Paul Smith said online: “They should close the company down and prosecute and if necessary imprison the boss and senior employees – a fine won’t stop these companies.”

Pamela Cairns said: “It’s ridiculous.

“Yesterday my phone went seven times – all automated messages.”