USERS of Fife Council services have been asked to remember that the authority’s old telephone numbers will be officially switched off from this morning.

A change in telephone system has meant the former numbers will no longer be used by the council, with new numbers being used to cover a range of services.

With the revised set-up now in place, the local authority has urged residents not to lose touch by using their free Useful Guide To Council Services booklet which was delivered to all households in April.

Councillor Peter Grant, Fife Council leader, said, “Any change on this scale is going to be disruptive but council staff have been working for months to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible...

“The new system will help us in a range of ways. It is a key part of our customer contact strategy, for instance, ensuring people who call us get the right person first time.

“It will allow our employees to work more efficiently, and to an extent ‘greener’ —for example by using conference calls instead of travelling to meetings will benefit the environment.

“And by creating an integrated system for voice and data we can now run and manage these much more efficiently.

“We changed our telephone supplier after the existing contract ran out, and part of the change also involves replacing the numbering system we use.”

Over 5000 telephones across the region were affected by the changes and the council has arranged for extra fully trained staff to be on duty to answer enquiries.

The authority receives over a million telephone calls a year and surveys conducted by the council revealed that 70% of people who contact the authority carry out their business by telephone.

The new main numbers are in the BT Phonebook while the Fife Direct website, www.fifedirect.org.uk, also details the new arrangements.

The numbers are also available through digital TV and by calling 08451 55 00 00. Alternatively, anyone requiring a copy of the Useful Guide can contact the above number for a copy.