A LAW which bans companies making unsolicited telephone calls to householders was last night branded "a nonsense" after a loophole was discovered by The Northern Echo.

Businesses have been banned from ringing the homes of people who have signed up to the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) since a new Act was introduced in 1999.

But some people who have registered with the TPS are still being bombarded with unwanted direct marketing - even from one of the main signatories of the legislation, BT.

One County Durham man who joined TPS claims he has been contacted three times this week by staff at the telecom company's call centre in India.

He has asked his MP to investigate and he is demanding to know how the firm can get around the legislation it was partly responsible for drawing up.

Bishop Auckland MP Derek Foster said: "I believe they should abide by the law no matter where their call centres happen to be."

The Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC), which is responsible for upholding the law, said that companies such as BT are still allowed to contact people who have signed up with TPS - but only if they are customers.

A BT spokesman said: "TPS will not block cold-calling if the person being called has a contractual relationship with the person doing the calling.

"We have an obligation to keep customers up to date with recent offers, but he only needs to tell us if he wants us to stop and we will."

But Mr Foster said: "If a person has expressly stated he does not want to receive this kind of call, then it should apply to companies he has a contract with as well as any others.

"They, above anyone else, should know the tremendous trouble this is causing customers and that is why the legislation was brought in.

"Parliament has legislated to stamp this sort of thing out.

"People are sick and tired of getting anonymous calls at teatime and early evening."

Phil Jones, assistant commissioner with the OIC, said: "If a UK-based company has a call centre outside the country it is still bound by the legislation and liable for any breaches."