BRIGHTON'S telephone numbers are to change for the second time in a decade, because the present system cannot cope with demand.

Telecommunications watchdog Oftel has revealed that the 01273 dialling code will have the extra digit 2 added to free up the network, before it runs out of space in 2005.

News of the latest change comes just four years after an extra digit 1 was added to the old 0273 code.

Businesses, which were forced to change letter heads and signs then, now face the prospect of forking out hundreds of thousands of pounds again.

Alan Brooke, of Sussex Enterprise, said: "This is going to place yet another burden on local businesses, particularly at a time when the economic climate is extremely difficult."

The news comes at a time when organisations are spending fortunes in combating the threat posed to computers by the millennium bug.

The change will also affect faxes and e-mail.

Brighton and Hove Council's 7,000 staff use 3,000 phones and the newcode will mean altering thousands of letterheads.

Aspokesman said: "It's a bit of a nuisance coming so soon after the last change. I'm sure if it's all done properly we can bring in the change as smoothly as possible."

American Express, which also employs thousands of people in Brighton, thinks it will cope with the change, given enough advance warning.

Aspokeswoman said: "If we get enough publicity we can change our brochures, signs and letterheads to fit in withminimum fuss."

Oftel says the new code would open up millions of possible new telephone numbers to cope with the ever-increasing demand.

Aspokeswoman said: "By 2005 it is likely that Brighton will be running out of numbers. We are making provisions now so numbers are available."

Oftel is already changing numbers for London, Cardiff, Coventry, Portsmouth and Southampton. And a new 020 number is being introduced for London to replace both 0171 and 0181.

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