The investigation was launched after third party mains travel chargers originating from China bearing false CE markings and certificates were unknowingly circulated by major UK accessory distributors such as Elite and TAG within the UK market.

Elite immediately recalled all potentially dangerous stock and sacked one of its suppliers (Mobile News February 19). Elite also revised its product testing procedures to prevent rogue product getting into the market.

Trading Standards spokesman Simpson Rolph declined to comment on whether action would be taken against any of the companies involved.

We are in the last throes of the investigation. We have gathered together substantial evidence. I cant comment on whether we plan to take the matter to court or not he said.

Space Communications director Darren Cooke first alerted Mobile News to the rogue chargers. One of the chargers is believed to have exploded.

Trading Standards have asked me to submit further evidence that I bought the chargers from Elite. It looks likely that it might go to court. Im getting fed up because Im having to pay solicitors fees.

Elite supplied me the faulty products. We dont regularly buy from Elite but that time we got our fingers burned. I am still getting faulty units back from customers. Because I am a competitor to Elite they have done nothing about it. No one has apologised. But I understand European Telecom has received a compensation payment from Elite said Cooke.

An Elite spokesperson commented:

We are unaware that any investigation is taking place. We dont understand why it would be of any interest to us. The matter is closed. Elite has not paid any money to European Telecom or its subsidiary TAG.

European Telecom whose subsidiary The Accessory Group supplied chargers to BTCellnet retail chain DX communications confirmed:

We are aware that the investigation is ongoing. We are co-operating with trading standards. We have not received any payments from Elite relating to mobile phone chargers.

Fuller a non-executive director of Fone Logistics (see story this issue) has spent a total of 20 years at Hutchison ending up as COO of Orange UK. He joined Telewest last December from Orange after Orange was acquired by France Telecom.

So said Caudwell Group chairman John Caudwell at the companys annual employee awards held on February 1.

But there had also been problems with Caudwell Groups accessory division Dextra which lost its way badly last year.

A new [Dextra] management team was brought in and the business is now well back on track to continue its progress and strengthen its position as the UKs number one accessory distributor he said.

The groups service and repair divison Mobile Phone Repair Company (MPRC) had also been hit by changes imposed by manufacturers but managed to improve volumes and efficiencies.

We opened 78 Phones 4U stores taking the total to 334 with the highest number of contract connections per outlet the fastest growing market share the most rapidly increased brand awareness and the highest percentage profit increase said Caudwell. We are now clearly the number two player in the retail market place and challenging Carphone Warehouse for number one position.

He added that Caudwell Groups 40 per cent growth in turnover was an absolutely stunning performance in relation to the market.

Most of our customers suppliers and competitors saw their profits reduced their share prices decimated – and in some cases disappeared into liquidation.

He cited Brightpoint CellStar and European Telecom as one-time competitors that had now vanished from the UK.

Meanwhile Cauldwell Group subsidiary Phones 4U has been named as T-Mobiles Distributor of the Year for 2002.

According to T-Mobile account manager Marshall Frieze the support offered by the retail chain was one of the main keys to the networks success in 2002.

He said: In a year that saw much change in how T-Mobile was perceived on the High Street 4U showed the most significant improvements in helping improve the performance of its dealers.

Hugh Symons Mobile Data has signed a distribution agreement with Bluetooth networking product manufacturer Red-M.

Hugh Symons Mobile data will distribute Red-M products such as servers and a clip-on Bluetooth module for palm PDAs.

The promotion will be promoted by a national poster and press campaign. Consumers enter the competition by buying ringtones or logos from Zeds space promotional range for one month.

One hundred entrants will be randomly selected and invited to submit a text reply of up to 160 characters stating why they should be picked to go to space.

The competition will be judged by a real astronaut. The winner will be chosen on November 26.

After three days training the winner will be rocketed at twice the speed of sound to an altitude of up to 87 miles above earth experiencing four minutes of weightlessness.

Andre Neblett (24) admitted using the cloned Mastercard to obtain the three phones by deception from salesman Murat Attaman.

Neblett further admitted obtaining a 14-inch TV set at the same time and place. He had been threatened with a possible jail sentence at an earlier hearing.

Market makers were also unimpressed with the news that financial director Paul Hinder is to leave in November.

Chief executive officer Darren Ridge said results for the year ending next March would be substantially below market expectations.

The trading statement said:

The board believes that this performance is due to two generic factors affecting the companys principal businesses: a revised view of the market in which the companys businesses operate; and unrealistic internal forecasts based on the companys previous strategy.

The core business of mobile retail and wholesale distribution has had some success in securing and retaining high-value customers. However sales in recently opened stores have been slower than anticipated which has meant that some new stores are taking longer than the company had expected to break even.

Sales of mobile handsets have also been hit by the well publicised shift in commercial policies of the major network operators.

This has had an adverse impact on the companys wholesale distribution activities.

Ridge said PNC has launched a cost-cutting drive starting with the closures of its offices at Leeds and St. Albans estimated to save 400000 a year.

It is also likely that some senior managers and staff will go to achieve a further saving of 350000 a year.

Ridge said renegotiation of main supply contracts could add another 500000 a year to the bottom line.

PNC said it will also spend more customer care and marketing to retain and gain high-value customers.

Despite the downgrade I remain very positive about the companys future said Ridge.

Head office costs have been reduced by approximately 35 per cent. per annum. We now have a strong management team that has a wealth of experience in the companys key markets..

Ridge was managing director of KJC Mobile Phones and was made chief operating officer of PNC Tele.com in January six months after PNC acquired KJC.

So says a report called: The Moment of Truth: a portrait of the UK market for mobile phones from Strand Consult.

Strand is an independent consultancy which specialises in analysing and evaluating sales concepts and sales processes within the mobile communication business.

Of the 132 shops and sales persons tested only 28 salesmen demonstrated better than average competence said Strand head John Strand.

Only about half the salesmen recommended a solution without being asked. Only 41 salesmen did better than poorly at asking sufficient questions to discover our needs.

Only 16 shops offered us brochures which included additional services. Only five salesmen asked about our existing knowledge of mobile telephony.

Only eight salesmen asked if we had tried WAP. Only seven shops asked if we would like to be able to read daily news on the mobile.

Functions of the terminals were demonstrated in only nine shops Accessories were mentioned in only 10 shops.

Price was by far the most frequently-used argument for choice of operator. In 103 shops no WAP-enabled terminals were demonstrated the report said.

Strand says the problem is focusing too much on attracting new customers and too little on providing them with the service they deserve.

David Nichols (48) was found guilty in a London court on August 21 of sending a 13-year-old boy passenger text messages of a sexual nature.

Nichols a station supervisor at Chorleywood in Hertfordshire escaped a jail sentence and was freed under a two-year probation order after the court considered psychiatric reports which referred to a medical condition that Nichols blamed for his actions.

The court heard Nichols had used his position of authority at the station to obtain the boys mobile number by pretending he would send him text messages of train delays.

But the messages were of descriptions of a sexual nature involving disabled people.

Nichols had admitted three counts of sending the obscene text messages in July (Mobile News July 6).

When interviewed by the police Nichols had expressed his horror at what he had done.

He is to face a disciplinary hearing and is certain to be sacked after 25 years in his job.

David Nichols (48) was found guilty in a London court on August 21 of sending a 13-year-old boy passenger text messages of a sexual nature.

Nichols a station supervisor at Chorleywood in Hertfordshire escaped a jail sentence and was freed under a two-year probation order after the court considered psychiatric reports which referred to a medical condition that Nichols blamed for his actions.

The court heard Nichols had used his position of authority at the station to obtain the boys mobile number by pretending he would send him text messages of train delays.

But the messages were of descriptions of a sexual nature involving disabled people.

Nichols had admitted three counts of sending the obscene text messages in July (Mobile News July 6).

When interviewed by the police Nichols had expressed his horror at what he had done.

He is to face a disciplinary hearing and is certain to be sacked after 25 years in his job.