Homeowners in an Irish town are bombarded with late-night phone calls for X-rated TV channel BABESTATION after dialling code mix-up

  • Phone numbers for UK-based adult TV channel Babestation start with 098
  • It is the same as the area code for the Irish town of Westport, County Mayo
  • Irish callers trying to phone Babestation are forgetting to add UK dialling code
  • Residents are being bombarded with calls for the station, often late at night 

By Stephanie Linning for MailOnline

Published: | Updated:

Residents of a small Irish town have been bombarded with phone calls meant for an X-rated TV station. 

Irish callers trying to reach women on adult TV channel Babestation have been accidentally dialling homes in Westport, Co Mayo.

The channel's premium-rate chatline numbers start with 098 - the area code for Westport - and Irish viewers are forgetting to add the 0044 international dialling code that would redirect their calls to the UK-based station.

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X-rated: Irish callers trying to reach adult TV channel Babestation have been accidentally dialling homes in Westport, Co Mayo, often in the middle of the night

X-rated: Irish callers trying to reach adult TV channel Babestation have been accidentally dialling homes in Westport, Co Mayo, often in the middle of the night

It means residents are being harassed by unwanted calls, often late at night, the Indpendent on Sunday reported. 

Regional Development Minister Michael Ring told the newspaper his constituents have been left 'aggravated and annoyed' by the mix-up.

He said: 'They are getting these calls in the middle of night. 

'One of those people has an elderly mother and family members all over the world and there could be a call at any time that they would have to take.'

Mr Ring contacted local regulators and the police, asking them to intervene. 

Michael O'Keeffe, chief executive of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) said it is 'unfortunate that this issue is still continuing' but that the organisation had no responsibility over telephone numbers. 

He also said the BAI had contacted Babestation on behalf of one concerned resident and had spoken to a representative about the issue.  

Bombarded: Babestation's numbers start with 098 - the area code for Westport (pictured) - and Irish viewers are forgetting to add the 0044 international dialling code that would redirect their calls to the UK-based station. Residents are reportedly 'annoyed' by the mix-up

Bombarded: Babestation's numbers start with 098 - the area code for Westport (pictured) - and Irish viewers are forgetting to add the 0044 international dialling code that would redirect their calls to the UK-based station. Residents are reportedly 'annoyed' by the mix-up

A spokesman for ComReg, the Ireland's communications sector regulator, told MailOnline it had been in contact with its UK counterpart over the issue.

He added: 'ComReg advises anyone calling UK from the Republic of Ireland should always use the prefix 00 44.' 

Mr Ring has also contacted the Phone-Paid Services Authority (PSA) in the UK. 

A spokesperson for the PSA told MailOnline: 'It appears that some Irish consumers have been dialling a UK service operating on a UK 09 number without using the +44 international dialling code, with the result that the calls go to the Irish 09 number, which is a residential number.

'We are aware of the issue. We have contacted the provider of the service who is working to remedy the matter.' 

A spokesman for Babestation told MailOnline: 'Babestation recognise this as an innocent misunderstanding and they are extremely aware that disappointed callers in Ireland, whose intention it was to speak to one of the Babestation girls, may have inadvertently reached homes on the west coast of Ireland.

'They also recognise the impact that this has had on those that may have received these calls, and would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused. 

'Babestation are keen to stress, and will continue to do so publicly, that when dialling a UK number, the ‘0’ should be replaced by ’00 44’.' 

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