HAVING received hundreds of calls and lost thousands of pounds in business, staff at a Wroughton Chiropractic Clinic are admitting defeat and changing their telephone number.

The Ridgeway Chiropractic Clinic was bombarded by dozens of calls intended for the Inland Revenue's Tax Credit helpline, a problem, which confounded BT, Cable and Wireless and the Inland Revenue.

"We are changing the number in order to retain our reception staff's sanity," explained Gavin King, business development manager and manager of the clinic.

"The staff have been very stoic about installing the new phone line. Before, when we were getting calls like this, we accepted them as a mistake."

"But when these larger volumes began coming in, it would disturb the day and we would sometimes we'd feel like shutting up shop."

"At least once these calls have ceased then we can all go back to our cheery selves and treating our patients."

At the time, the Inland Revenue was expecting some 5.6 million calls to its help-line number on 0845 300 3900.

The number for the clinic is until Monday, 01793 845300. The area code does not need to be dialled if the dialler lives in that area and that is when there is a problem.

Following an extensive investigation of its phone system, BT, concluded that the problem came from people trying to get through to the tax credit helpline were constantly using the redial button. If the button was pressed before the dial tone was heard, phones may miss off the first zero in the helpline number and be connected straight through to the clinic because of the number starting with 845.

Because of the problems, BT are today installing a new line with an easy to remember phone number, whilst putting a call intercept on the old 845300 number which will ask callers to re-dial the new number.

Mr King added: "We may have lost this battle but we will win the war. We have lost thousands of pounds in business, and our number is still going to be in the telephone book."

BT is giving the clinic a new number free of charge and £250 advertisement to announce the change.

The new number for the Ridgeway Chiropractic Clinic is 01793 814567