A SCOTS firm has been raided in connection with an investigation into 200 million nuisance calls which potentially put public safety on the railways at risk.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) says it has searched premises in Clydebank as part of a probe into a company suspected of making the illegal calls.
The ICO say some of the calls "potentially put people’s safety at risk" as they were made to Network Rail’s Banavie Control Centre near Fort William and "clogged up the line for drivers and pedestrians at unmanned level crossings, who were calling to check it was safe to cross the rails".
Computer equipment and documents have been seized for analysis and will now be used to inform the ICO’s investigation.
The 200 million plus calls the firm is suspected of making is one of the highest volumes the ICO has ever executed a search warrant in relation to. The highest amount of calls ever to result in an ICO fine is 146 million.
The ICO say Thursday's raid was prompted by complaints from the public about automated nuisance calls promoting boiler and window replacement schemes.
Herald View: Time to pull the plug on the misery of nuisance calls
The calls, which contain recorded messages, often aligned themselves to non-existent Scottish or UK Government initiatives.
Ken Macdonald, head of ICO Scotland, said: “These calls have caused millions of people disruption, annoyance and distress, but not only this, those made to a control centre charged with public safety may have endangered lives.
“Companies behind nuisance calls should know that people are sick of them, and when people complain to us, we will act.”
The ICO has powers to issue fines of up to £500,000 for breaches of the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003, which cover the way organisations make automated direct marketing telephone calls.
The ICO said it would not be naming the suspected business whilst the investigation is ongoing.
The regulator said the investigation was at an early stage and they remain "unproven allegations" of breaching the Privacy and Electronic Communication Regulations (PECR).
They said material gathered "may or may not" provide evidence to support the allegations and inform whether they take enforcement action in the future.
Herald View: Time to pull the plug on the misery of nuisance calls
Alex Neill, home products and services managing director for the consumer organisation Which? said: "News of 200 million nuisance calls by another Scottish firm is very disappointing. These calls continue to be an everyday menace for too many people in Scotland.
"We welcomed the Scottish Government’s action plan back in September 2017, and now we need to see real action by business groups and ministers across the UK to ensure people are no longer bombarded by these unwelcome calls."
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