NEW telephone directories being delivered to houses in the EX20 area have sparked anger among residents, who have discovered that vital Exeter numbers no longer appear in the book.
South Zeal resident Ursula Radford said many people she knew in the area were furious about the decision by BT to exclude the EX20 area from the East Devon phone book and include it in the North Devon edition instead.
Mrs Radford said: ?It?s ludicrous ? if people want to get in touch with the hospital or the crematorium, all they have is the numbers in North Devon.
?Barnstaple isn?t our main hospital ? it?s so stupid.?
Mrs Radford said many people would have thrown out their old directories, which included Exeter numbers, when the new ones were delivered.
To order a second East Devon directory would cost around £10 said Mrs Radford.
Jason Mann, of BT, said the company was currently reviewing the make-up of telephone directories, with the aim of making them ?as local and manageable as possible?.
?Some locations have been duplicated in other books and that?s what has happened with Exeter,? said Mr Mann. ?As part of our review, that area has not been included in the latest version of the North Devon book.
?However, what we are saying is anyone who has a need for these details can contact us and we will provide a book free of charge.?
Mr Mann said the review of the telephone books was ongoing ? ?very substantial changes? had been made to the latest version of the phone directory, which now had a classified section for the first time.
?Obviously, we will take into account any comments which are made to us about the books for the future,? he said.
Anyone in the EX20 area who requires an Exeter phone book can call 0800 833400 to request a copy.