BTC has axed four long distance operators and is now transferring callers overseas.

But one member of the public rang The Royal Gazette to complain the new service does not work.

The four staff finished on Friday. BTC said the redundancies were handled in line with the BTC/Bermuda Industrial Union agreement and agreed a year ago.

A BTC spokeswoman said the four were getting fair compensation packages as well as help from the Employment Assistance Programme.

She said changing telecommunications regulations and increased competition had meant the service could not continue.

Customers dialling "00" for an operator assisted caller will automatically be transferred to a long distance operator associated with their international carrier. However, one Cable and Wireless customer said the service had failed to work for her when she tried to get a number in Santiago, Chile at 6.30 p.m. on Saturday.

She said: "The first three times I got cut off, the fourth time someone answered in Jamaica but could not help me."

The caller said she was then put through to someone in the US. "They couldn't help me either but said call back on Monday morning. This is going backwards like a third world country."

The caller complained that local jobs had been lost and said tourists would also find it frustrating if they needed to call home in an emergency.