The Mobile Alliance was formed to offer independent dealer a branded high street presence and access to marketing advertising and branding potentialities that are normally enjoyed by the multiples.

The Carphone Warehouse boss Charles Dunstone told Mobile News:

The Carphone Warehouse Group can confirm that we are currently investigating a number of stock discrepancies at the Warrington

Superstore. The internal audit department are interviewing some of the personnel working at this store and some people have been suspended whilst the investigation is completed. The Warrington store is trading as normal.

The suspended Warrington staff were understood to have been using newspaper money-off coup-ons discount vouchers and credit vouchers to buy equipment such as palmtops and phones from the store which were then allegedly sold on for personal gain.

The police are involved in the investigation.

He has already removed certain material about the FCS Crime Prevention Scheme from his organisations web site which the FCS claims was confidential.

The FCSs lawyers have remined Rowcroft he is not permitted to make use of any confidential information and is still bound by the terms of the contract he signed.

Rowcroft has also been threatened with a claim for damages for allegedly publishing malicious falsehood. The FCS has also demanded he returns all information and documents he has copied.

In a news release he claimed the current FCS Crime Prevention Scheme was in turmoil and publicised other details of problems the Scheme may be facing. He also claimed why pay hundreds or even thousands of pounds a year to be a member of a trade organisation and then receive very little or even nothing in return.

We are surprised by Rowcrofts claims said FCS Secretary James Malcolm.

He spent barely six weeks with the FCS. Most of what he purports to offer is already provided by the FCS. However it is a matter of concern that since his appointment was so recently announced many in the industry may be misled into thinking that he still represents the FCS.

It is also a matter of great regret that for the first time since the FCS was established 20 years ago it has had to take steps to enforce a confidentiality agreement signed by all staff before joining us.

The FCS has a record of successful lobbying on behalf of members and is well known and respected in relevant government departments and in Oftel. It is owned by and answerable to its members and membership applications are also subject to approval by them.

According to a survey taken by the Trade Association Forum of which FCS is a member and represented on the Steering Committee FCS subscriptions are among the lowest asked by trade associations in any industry.

Rowcroft told Mobile News:

I deny that I breached any conditions of my contract. It depends on what they are saying is confidential and what is common knowledge within the industry. I think theirs is a response to the fact that there is a competition to the FCS.

The network made its apologies to its dealer channel at a seminar held at Chateau Impney on October 5.

BTCellnets sales director Mark Stansfield who joined the network from One 2 One in April said:

Lets face it we havent done a lot for you over the last couple of years to make you feel that you are valued channel partners and critical to your business so before we start and get into the good news Im putting my hands up and saying sorry.

He told dealers:

I am not saying we have all the answers. But I really believe we have made a strong start. What you do have is my commitment to you all that we want to work with you to develop your business not only for BTCellnet products and services but also to help you sell more of everything in the mobile category. Your business is very important to us.

On the day the network announced a raft of price changes and promotions. Included in these were reduction of up to 22 per cent) on Business First tariffs a 10p minute peak call rate and the fact that Business First can now be offered to single purchasers.

BTCellnets Mobile Extension product will come with extra benefits. Every Mobile Extension customer connected from October 1 would also attract an extra 20 commission.

A hundred or more customers connected to one account would win a 500 bonus and 150 a 1000 bonus.

General manager Ian Driver predicted a WAPpy Christmas and announced a three-month free mobile internet access offer to both new and existing WAP customers supported by a 10 million marketing push.

A new product for Christmas 2000 called Pay Upfront was announced to capitalise on the 40 per cent of total sales that are bought as gifts.

This gift-wrapped offering comes with 12 months free line rental 200 off peak minutes or 50 anytime minutes a WAP enabled Siemens handset.

The 99.99 package will give dealers a margin of 50; a 59 per cent POR.

Pay and Go rates are coming down to 2p/minute at weekends 10p off peak and 25p peak

With a glitzy Las Vegas theme that will have to be seen to be believed the night is on course to be the best Mobile News Awards night ever hosted as usual by a top TV star.

Tables of 10 are available for 2250 (ex VAT) and include a champagne reception four-course dinner with wine cabaret and star band.

Youll also have the chance to party until dawn with more than a thousand other industry guests at the prestigious Hilton on Park Lane Hotel in the heart of Londons Mayfair.

Tables are strictly limited due to space and fire regulations. When theyre gone theyre gone. So its a case of first-come-first served. Last year tables sold out within 10 days. Avoid the waiting lists. Book now using the booking form on Page 41. Or e-mail:mobilenewsawards@mobilenewscwp.co.uk or fax (020 7704 7441) your requirements.

Ex-Banner managing director and co-founder Mike Sharpe has moved to a more strategic role as head of special projects.

According to chief executive Warren Hardy the reason putting McFarnon in charge of Banner is to integrate the Banner Telecom and European Telecom operations.

Sharpe continues to report in to Hardy. Although it is believed that Sharpe will eventually cut all ties with European Telecom.

The deal is an extension of Nokias existing business with BTCellnet. It means Nokia continues as the main base station supplier for their GSM mobile network which covers almost 99 per cent of the UK population. The deliveries will cover (Cont P2) Nokias GSM base stations for indoor and outdoor mobile service.

BTCellnet has bought the Nokia MetroSite base station that can be used at completely new types of sites such as billboards bus stops and lamp posts that are not feasible with traditional systems.

For the expansion of BTCellnets indoor GSM services the Nokia InSite Base Stations will be supplied. These are small enough to be installed virtually anywhere

The Nokia platforms will not only helps us to manage our network more effectively both operationally and financially but allows us to address the rapid growth in the UK mobile market and demand for high capacity and quality networks said BTCellnet MD Peter Erskine.

Vodafone is understood to be about to sign a deal with Tesco enabling the supermarket giant to become a virtual network operator.

Tesco is responding to Sainsburys announcement that it too intends to offer a new service to BTCellnet whereby users will always be offered the cheapest tariffs and refunds if they are on the wrong call rate (see full story P10).

Vodafone and Tesco declined to comment on whether or not they had signed a deal. But it is unthinkable Tesco would use any other network as ex-Tesco chairman Lord MacLaurin is also chairman of Vodafone.

Tesco is promising the cheapest calls in the business.

With a move to provide 11 million Tesco customers with direct links to all of the supermarkets services creating a mobile shopping (Cont P2) and information centre in a handset.

In addition to supplying news headlines weather forecasts and share prices as text messages the new Tesco network will eventually become an encyclopedia of national and local knowledge providing indispensable facts such as the name and number of your local taxi service.

Pushing just one button will also connect callers automatically to the Tesco service of their choice. Such as information on pensions savings and credit cards. Customers will also be able request early text message bulletins telling them what deals are available at Tesco each day and order flowers household goods and groceries.

We want Tesco to become the first point of contact for customers daily needs and we believe in the future your phone will be a popular way to shop.

Having our own mobile network will reinforce our fantastic reputation for providing top quality products at low prices and enable us to form close links with our customers.

We are preparing for the communications revolution which is just about to happen.

Staines police confirmed a lorry containing the phones was stolen in the Surrey area on October 19.

Staines police spokesperson Diane Whiting told Mobile News:

The driver of a white rigid lorry with blue curtain sides containing a high value cargo of mobile phones travelling anti-clockwise on the M25 between junctions 10 and 9 was forced to pull over onto the hard shoulder near Cobham.

The suspects were using two saloon cars – one bearing a blue flashing light which parked in the slow lane beside the lorry and the other with a red flashing light which parked in front of it.

The driver was forced to turn at junction 9 then drive back towards Heathrow along the M25 to junction 14 by one of the suspects then was kidnapped and taken in a car to Collum Green Road Hedgerley near Slough where he was released. He was shocked and suffered minor facial injuries during his ordeal.

Meanwhile the lorry and another vehicle were set alight and burnt out just off Horton Road in the Stanwell Moor area close to junction 14 after the phones – all Nokia 8210 models – were stolen.

Then on Monday in the early hours just after 2.30pm a white Mercedes Sprinter van again carrying a valuable cargo of Nokia 8210 phones was being driven in Airport Way Stanwell Moor when it was forced to stop by a car with a blue flashing light on top. The driver was punched and thrown into a ditch at the side of the road and the vehicle and contents were stolen. The van was found abandoned around 8am – just a few hours later – in Hammond Way Sunningdale.

Investigating officers would like to speak to anyone with information or who witnessed any of the above incidents. Call the incident room at Staines police station on 01784 446733.

He replaces Bob Fuller who moved to Telewest two months ago.

The job now covers the new enlarged Orange/France Telecom group. Allwood is not new to Orange having formerly been involved with Microtel Communications many years ago before it became known as Orange.

He will be responsible for all existing operations and future expansion in the UK and global co-ordination of Customer Service Management Distribution and (Cont P2)Information Systems.

Allwood reports to a new executive board of Orange under France Telecom ownership led by Michel Bon (chairman and chief executive of France Teleco) Jean Francoise Pontal (chief executive designate) and Graham Howe (deputy chief executive officer and chief financial officer) Oranges current CEO Hans Snook has been made a Special Advisor but is expected to severe his ties with Orange.