BT has poached one of Telewest's top execs from under the cableco's nose.

Gavin Patterson (36), MD of Telewest's consumer division and responsible for the £950 million a year business, is to join BT as group MD of its consumer and ventures division.

Mind you, he'll have a job on his hands. Somehow, he'll have to try and defend BT's eroding fixed-line business while driving up sales of BT's frill-less ADSL product - BT Broadband.

Patterson replaces Angus Porter, who joined Abbey a few months ago, and takes up his new job early in the new year. He holds two masters degrees in chemical engineering from Cambridge University. ®