THE chairman of BT, Sir Christopher Bland, is to be asked to explain why the cost of laying underground telephone cables in Malmesbury has soared.

North Wiltshire District Council is writing to him for an explanation because it says the cost has escalated by more than seven times the original estimate in the last seven years.

The council wanted to put the overhead cables at Back Hill underground as part of an application for funding under the Conservation Area Partnership Scheme in 1995.

At the time, BT said it would pay half the cost of the work and quoted the council a figure of £4,000, out of a total project cost of £8,000.

In 1997 the council asked for a re-estimate after the scheme was given the offer of a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. BT replied that the cost to the council would be £12,100, while it would pay £1,500 just to cover the cost of the cabling.

The current BT estimate has risen to £31,000.

Council leader David Packham said: "It is quite outrageous. The charges have gone up so much, way, way in excess of any inflationary increase."

The council wrote to BT in January asking for an explanation. In a reply to the council, repayment project engineer for BT Dennis Card said the figures were clouded by BT's change in contribution to the scheme but blamed market costs for the large increase.

"Market prices and overheads rates have inevitably increased during the period," he said.

Coun Packham said the council is to press Sir Christopher for a more in depth answer.

He said: "The reply we originally received spent a lot of time saying nothing it was complete gobbledegook. We have written again and asked for a explanation."