£500 victory over a lack of Orange signal

A MAN who successfully sued his mobile phone firm for failing to provide coverage in his home today urged other Londoners to follow suit.

Tom Prescott, 32, took Orange to court after they refused to cancel his 18- month contract, even though he could not get a signal either at his Richmond home or in his office.

This week he won his case at Brentford county court and was awarded £500. He slammed the phone networks for using "bullying" tactics.

"As soon as I realised I could not get a signal, I tried to cancel my contract," said Mr Prescott, a biochemist who lives with girlfriend Catherine Thomas.

"However, it has taken me three months in court to get it cancelled. I felt bullied by the company, and dealing with Orange was awful. I hope people who have the same problem now realise they can do something about it."

Mr Prescott, who represented himself in court, argued that having been sold an 18-month contract by the mobile phone operators there should be a reasonable expectation of service.

Orange refused to comment on the case but a spokesman added: "Continuous network coverage cannot be guaranteed and network coverage can be affected by factors outside of our control."

The ruling could have implications on all those who suffer from poor signal and for those looking for compensation.