THE Norfolk managing director of a telecommunications company appeared in court on Friday charged with defrauding customers.Christopher Boughton-Fox of Business Telecom Ltd is alleged to have induced businesses and individuals across East Anglia to sign up to contracts on a false basis between January 2005 and February 2008.

THE Norfolk managing director of a telecommunications company appeared in court on Friday charged with defrauding customers.

Christopher Boughton-Fox of Business Telecom Ltd is alleged to have induced businesses and individuals across East Anglia to sign up to contracts on a false basis between January 2005 and February 2008.

Also appearing at Yarmouth Magistrates Court to be charged with the same conspiracy to defraud offence were two employees - Jonathan Parrish and Neil Debenham.

It is claimed that the trio persuaded people to enter into lease arrangements for the supply of telecommunications systems and accessories by falsely representing that Business Telecom was connected with or the business arm of British Telecom PLC.

The prosecution by Norfolk County Council trading standards alleges that people were told their telephone lines and equipment were about to be made obsolete due to digitisation of the network and had to switch over to the new systems by law.

It is said that Boughton-Fox, 46 of Yarmouth Road, Norwich, Parrish, 40, of The Hills, Reedham, and Debenham, 26, from East Somerton, signed up people on the false basis that they could cancel the lease after a year.

All three men did not enter a plea against the charge of conspiring to defraud individuals and businesses by false representation.

Magistrates bailed them to appear at Norwich Crown Court on July 10 for a preliminary hearing.