Calling a 118 directory enquiries service to get a phone number can cost up to £8.98 per call, if you use 118118, which was 58 pence in 2003.

Even worse is to come if you accept the 118118 invitation to “connect you through” to the number they’ve found as the charges per minute stay at the same rip-off rates of £2.57 per minute from a BT landline and around £5 per minute from most mobiles.

Go online to get telephone numbers free, or get someone connected to do it for you.