MALVERN taxpayers may have to stump up more than £4,000 to pay for the upgrade of the town council's phone system.

The system at its new offices in Belle Vue Terrace comes complete with ISDN lines and full networking capability within the building.

But it cannot identify who is using which lines, and for how long, which means the council cannot bill other organisations using phones in the building, such as Community First. The system also has no voicemail facility.

Acting town clerk Rosemary Lansdowne, speaking at a meeting last Thursday, told councillors that they have two choices.

The authority can either spend a "fearfully expensive" £4,390 on the necessary improvements, which come as standard on most telephone systems, or "guess" how many calls are being made.

"I wonder what the district auditor would have to say about our guessing the bill?" asked Coun Graham Myatt (Trinity).

The council does not even have the option of getting a new system, as BT would not be able to install its own without altering the external appearance of the Grade II listed building.

It must buy Panasonic upgrades from suppliers Midland Communications and beside the capital cost, a system support charge of more than £600 per year will be charged.

Councillors expressed incredulity that such a seemingly basic feature should carry such an extra expense. Ms Lansdowne said the system had been installed "specifically by the previous town clerk."

Coun David Williams (Trinity) and Coun Freda Johnson (Langland) said voicemail was essential if the council was to serve its electors properly.

The issue has been referred to its budget committee.