A broadband company which took money from a dead woman’s bank account for ten months after her death is refusing to reimburse her son.

June Bird, 78, from Lancing, had been a lifelong customer of BT, paying £80 each month for a broadband and mobile phone contract until she died from cancer in July last year.

Son Steve Bird contacted BT to end the contract the same month and says he was assured it would be cancelled.

So when Steve was completing probate paperwork and found the provider was regularly taking funds from his mum’s bank account some ten months later, he could not believe his eyes.

“They are preying on people’s grief. It’s their dirty little revenue stream,” said the 52-year-old from Epsom, Surrey, whose father Bob also died of cancer in 2019.

“To say I’m frustrated is an extreme understatement.”

The Argus: June and Bob Bird were customers of BTJune and Bob Bird were customers of BT (Image: Submitted)

Steve contacted BT to remedy the issue but was told the company had no record of his call to cancel the contract in July last year, which angered him even more.

“No other organisation I have ever dealt with has behaved in such a way and caused me so much distress and upset,” he told The Argus.

“I keep records of everything and have the phone bill to prove the call was made. I had to send them my mum’s death certificate just to cancel the contract.

“By April this year they had taken £800 from her bank account and are now refusing to return it.”

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IT manager Steve was unable to cancel the direct debit when he discovered the issue as his probate forms were still being processed.

Companies are allowed to keep taking funds until they receive either a letter of administration or probate forms.

The Sun reports that BT undertook an investigation and offered Steve a “goodwill gesture” of £190 – less than 25 per cent of what he feels he is owed.

Steve later filed a complaint with the communications ombudsman, which at first failed, but after realising he had phone records “proving” he contacted BT to cancel the contract in July 2022, the ombudsman is said to be reconsidering.

BT was contacted for comment.