BT is phasing out the dreaded "red bill" to remind customers that they need to cough up and is using call centre staff in India to telephone errant punters instead and offer them the chance to pay over the phone.

If punters can't be reached by phone, then BT will send out the red bill as a reminder.

When one Reg hack was called yesterday and given a gentle reminder that he needs to cough up, the BT debt chaser explained it was a "new policy".

A spokesman for the telecoms giant confirmed that the company had been introducing this change over the last three months, although it had yet to inform punters of the change.

He also reminded us: "The BT bill is payable on demand - not when you get the red bill." ®

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