Trading standards have renewed a warning for people to avoid a 'fake' telephone competition - but said it may not prove as costly as they first thought.

It involves a recorded message informing people they have won a holiday or car. They are then asked to press nine on their telephone keypad.

The county council's trading standards department warned last week that it could cost £260 to complete the nine-minute call.

Spokesman Maggie Donaldson said on Tuesday, December 9, that the Independent Committee for the Regulation of Telephone Information Services had contacted the department to say that the call was unlikely to cost as much as £260. She added: "Callers could still be charged about £1.50 a minute and there is no guarantee that they will win a prize.

"We think this is a hoax and people should just hang up if they get a call.

"Our advice is that they should not press nine and proceed with the call because they will then be connected to a premium rate number and that will be expensive."