A WAR hero who was rescued from Dunkirk, fought his way through Sicily, and lost an eye at Arnhem says he feels like he is now fighting a battle against telephone company NTL.

Douglas Payne, 82, from Windrush Road, Rodbourne Cheney, cancelled his contract with the firm in Novem-ber, but they have continued to ask him for money every month since.

And in the latest development, a debt collection agency sent a letter to Mr Payne, who lives with his 82-year-old wife Lilian, giving him 48 hours to pay the £138 claimed by the firm. He explained: "Every month they sent me a bill, and because I was not able to get through to them on the telephone I sent them a letter to remind them that I had cancelled my contract with them.

"It just seems that they are not taking any notice."

Mr Payne has risked his life more times than he cares to remember.

As a lance corporal with the Border Regiment he fought a rearguard action at Dunkirk, fought through Italy and Africa, and serving in the airborne infantry spent 11 hours in the sea after his glider was shot down.

After returning to England he dropped by glider into Arnhem where he lost an eye in a mortar blast and was machine gunned in both legs.

Not surprisingly he is not worried by NTL.

"They don't worry me. They can take me to court if they want to. I know that I don't owe them any money," he said.

"I think that an apology would be nice, because they have mucked me around for long enough." When contacted by the Evening Advertiser, NTL spokeswoman Odette Sullivan admitted: "I know that we have had a big problem with letters not getting through to us. It sounds like a clerical error and we apologise to Mr Payne for any distress that has been caused."

n Earlier this week the Evening Advertiser told the story of a postman from Swindon who was left puzzled and angry after NTL returned a set top box and charged him for damaging it - more than a year after he severed ties with the firm.