Record £800,000 fine for premium phone line

The regulator for premium-rate phone lines has imposed a record fine on a company that runs competitions in national newspapers.

Churchcastle Limited was fined £800,000 after some entrants discovered that they had run up hundreds of pounds in phone bills.

The chief executive of the regulator, PhonepayPlus, Paul Whiteing, told BBC Breakfast he was concerned the competitions took advantage of elderly people.