WHY the surprise Tony Blair's pager being intercepted? It receives its information by radio. A radio transmission is 'broadcast,' and is available to all!

It is high time that it was made clear that there is no way that mobile or cordless telephones and pagers, or any mobile radio equipment, can be mass-produced at a reasonable price, and at the same time be completely secure against eavesdroppers.

Ban scanners? Why? If anyone really wants to intercept someone else's phone calls or data transmissions, a restriction on the sale of scanners will not prevent them, as radio equipment that is available for other purposes, can also be used for interception.

If I really wanted to listen to my neighbour's cordless phone, all I need is a £5 or £10 transistor radio, and five minutes with a screwdriver to detune it slightly to make it receive FM transmissions on the 1.7MHz band.

If I were to report that I had heard my neighbour's phone, or a police transmission, even accidentally, I would be committing an offence - I couldn't even legally voice a complaint of interference from the same.

As it is not possible to stop people listening, and not possible to make economical completely secure systems, there is only one possible answer.

That is to stop the pretence, and insist that all portable, cordless, and mobile, telephone and data equipment is marked with a large red label stating: "Warning this equipment sends or receives messages via a radio link, and should not be used to send or receive confidential information."

HARRY LEEMING (Radio ham operator), Holdings Amateur Electronics, Johnston Street, Blackburn.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.