A PHONE giant has blamed poor reception in the Ribble Valley on too many calls being made from mobiles.

Hutchison 3G, which uses the latest technology to include the internet, cameras and video messaging in its handsets, said it now plans to double the number of phone masts in Clitheroe to two.

But customers at the town's only mobile phone shop, Phone Works in Eshton Terrace, have complained for months of poor reception.

The store's owner, Lee Roe, reported a slump in '3' sales since February and now advises customers against signing up to the company.

He said: "To claim the poor reception is down to too many calls is absolute rubbish. Also, why would they need to put another mast in a small market town like Clitheroe? I don't buy it.

"We have not been selling '3' phones for the last six months because if the coverage isn't there then it isn't fair to sell people the phone. The service has got steadily worse over the last six months.

"In February it seemed as though the power on the phone mast had been turned down by half. The coverage in Clitheroe was brilliant last year, it's terrible now."

A spokesperson from Hutchison 3G said calls can sometimes be dropped when an existing phone mast reaches capacity. Clitheroe's '3' mast is in Pendle Road.

He added: "Our radio engineers are investigating the reported signal reduction. The problem is these base stations can only take a certain number of calls.

If more people are using it then this can explain why some calls have been dropped. '3' has noticed an increase in calls in Clitheroe and we are intending to install a flagpole base station at the Clitheroe Conservative Club, Church Street. This proposal is with Ribble Valley Council.

"The increase in calls indicates there is a need for suburban coverage by '3'. The additional base station will give greater coverage."

Simon Bates, spokesman for communications watchdog Ofcom, said the phone company's explanation was valid. He said: "It is true that too many customers using a service can sometimes overwhelm a particular phone mast.

"The phone company has a business decision to make if the problem is causing them to lose customers. They can apply to build another mast, which will go along way to solving the problem."