Mobile phone firm charges man for being "arrogant"

NEWS A New Zealand phone company is facing a charge of defamation after a customer received a mobile phone bill stating he was being charged NZ$337.50 (£98) for being an "arrogant bastard". The charge appeared on the man's bill which he was sent by phone firm Telecom. According the New Zealand Herald the company has apologised for the charge and a spokesman said he had no idea how such a charge could appear on the bill. Under civil law, the customer, James Storrie, may sue for defamation. He said he doesn't know anybody within the company who might have added the charge as a joke and couldn't think why it had appeared. Storrie was involved in a dispute with the company last year over a listing in the Yellow Pages, though that was settled at the time.