BT gives gran her phone number back in time for her birthday

In the telecommunications equivalent of David and Goliath, Brenda Rowles came out on top when her number was reinstalled on Friday after a broadband blunder by the company left her cut off from her doctors, friends and family.

The retired librarian's first call since the return of her number was a happy birthday message from the sister of her first husband, also a fellow Brenda.

She said: "I can't put into words how lovely it was to hear my phone ring on Saturday morning.

"It was like heaven; it was brilliant. In fact, you could say it was one of the best birthday presents I have ever had."

The Chandler's Ford grandmother lost her number when she cancelled her broadband to save money as she paid for her husband's stay in a care home.

But despite pleading to several BT staff members at the time not to interfere with her phone line, the number was cut off.

She first became aware of the mess up on Thursday, October 5, when she received a letter from her doctor's surgery as they had not been able to contact her.

The final straw was when BT did not reply to her complaint for a week - so a determined Brenda turned to the Echo for help.

Following the initial story last Thursday, she became somewhat of a local celebrity.

She said: "I had to go to the bank in Eastleigh and as I walked in, three staff members asked me for my autograph. I was quite popular that day, I must say.

"I usually back down and all my life I've let people walk all over me, so I thought: 'you're 79 on Saturday, don't let them get away with it'."

On Friday, she received a call from BT where she spoke to a 'lovely' woman who then sent out an engineer to sort out the issue - and by teatime, Brenda was back in business.

She said: "BT didn't do the right thing to start with, but it was put right in the end.

"I suppose I took on BT and won!"