Roaming charges might apply in Kent

IF YOU GO DOWN to St Margaret's at Cliffe today make sure that your mobile phone does not turn into a ticking timebomb of roaming charges.

Residents and visitors find that when they get down to its cliffs and beach they are told that they are in France and will have to select a local telecoms provider.

According to a report at the Telegraph, it's a blooming nightmare. It drives people away and steers them away from cliffs.

"You switch on your phone and it says 'welcome to France'. I avoid the cliff area now because of the problem," said Pat Kelly, 62, of nearby Martin-Mill.

"Everyone has good cause to be angry about it and something needs to be done. Visitors to the area are unaware of it and are shocked when their bills come in."

A local pub owner says that people come to look at the white cliffs of Dover only to be disappointed by the fact that they can't use their iPhones and such.

"Tourists who come down from London to see the White Cliffs are the ones who find it most annoying," he said. "They sit there with their iPhones and are shocked to receive a foreign signal when they still in England."

Anyone that has not been hazed into the roaming fraternity will not understand the risks that it presents. A short hop into France could turn your phone into a drain on your wallet, as it sucks out your cash while you chomp on baguettes.

O2 told us that this is down to geography, and recommended that people presented with the option to take on a French roaming contract while standing in Kent reject it.

"Owing to the geographical location of St Margaret's at Cliffe, sometimes a strong signal from a French network can travel over the flat expanse of water of the Channel," said a spokesperson.

"If this happens, residents can change the settings on their mobile device to reject the French signal." µ