The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is set to get new powers to hold directors of nuisance call companies personally liable for payment of fines. Currently fines are imposed on the company, which the directors can simply wind up, leaving the ICO unable to collect the fine, and then commence trading under another name, all perfectly legally.

One serial exponent, closing down two nuisance call companies and thus avoiding nearly £2million in fines was Gregg Rudd, whose success has helped firm up the conviction of the authorities that something had to be done.

Last year, according to Ofcom 3.9 billion nuisance phone calls and texts were made, equating to 7,420 per minute, mostly associated with bogus personal injury and insurance claims, payment protection insurance and pensions.

It is not known if those who run charities that make nuisance calls, or employ someone else to do so, will also be held personally liable.