Londoners to get new dialling code

London is to get its fourth telephone number shake-up in 14 years. Most new eight-digit numbers will begin with the figure 3 rather than the 7 and 8 currently in use.

Telecom firms will begin issuing numbers starting with 020 followed by eight digits beginning with 3, 7 or 8 in June.

The move is designed to increase the list of number combinations for the capital from 20

million to 30 million. In 1991 the code changed from 01 to 071 for inner London and 081 for outer London.

Then in 1995, when all codes changed to begin with 01, numbers were changed to 0171 and 0181.

In 2002, codes were changed changed again to 0207 for inner and 0208 for outer London.