A FAMILY firm based at Clifton Moor has helped York Racecourse update its phone systems in time for Royal Ascot in June.

Local Telecom Service Limited (LTS), in Auster Road, has completed an £18,000 contract to upgrade the telecommunications at Knavesmire - and already the system has helped the racecourse to prepare for the prestigious event.

Hundreds of people who called the York Racecourse in the hope of getting tickets for the big occasion have been automatically redirected to Ascot where ticket sales are being handled. LTS was already providing pay phones and a broadband service to York Racecourse, but its old BT Norstar System was proving inadequate for current requirements, let alone the volume of calls expected in connection with Royal Ascot.

Not surprisingly for an organisation which existed before the telephone was invented, York Racecourse had phone lines spread across the site, many of which were used only on race days.

LTS managing director Peter Hawkins, and his son-in-law and sales director, Mark Mills, put together a detailed presentation to show the racecourse management how they could rationalise the overall number of lines they were renting and at the same time improve the service available.

As a result of lower call charges available through the service LTS provides in partnership with Shimmer Telecom, the racecourse calculates it is now saving about 27 per cent on calls compared with the BT Business Together package it was on previously. These savings have made a significant contribution to funding the replacement of the telephone system which is the latest, art digital system from Panasonic, the KX-TDA200.

Mr Mills said: "The new system is now capable of taking up to 30 phone calls at once, either receiving calls or dialling out and it has 90 extensions."

Updated: 11:47 Wednesday, March 02, 2005