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View Full Version : NTL Workers in 'White Powder' Alert!

Mick
21-10-2003, 16:08
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/southern_counties/3210578.stm
Nor
21-10-2003, 16:13
If it was stuff imported from abroad there is a good chance it may be residue from cs gas I think that the customs folk abroad spray to check for stowaways. Lets hope its something like that anyway.

edit: actually read it properly now and if its just a parcel eek. Hope its just a scare and its something innocuous.
aliferste
21-10-2003, 16:17
THere was also some rolled up ten pound notes!!
Russ
21-10-2003, 16:18
An employee at the firm has told BBC Southern Counties Radio the alert was raised after staff opened a box and saw traces of white powder, religious pictures and a note written in "asian" writing.

So kronas, you want to kick this one off?? :D
Mark W
21-10-2003, 16:21
pay a guy to do a job, and he sends it to the wrong ntl office - there goes my afternoon off ;)
Chris
21-10-2003, 16:27
It was probably just the powdered ash left after a customer got fed up with his TV service and set fire to the STB.
Bex
21-10-2003, 16:39
It was probably just the powdered ash left after a customer got fed up with his TV service and set fire to the STB.

:eeek: i see ntl are infamous then ;)

but guildford is a bit close to home :erm:
orangebird
21-10-2003, 16:59
I've just spoken to one of the ladies that works in the Guildford office - this is not a situation to be joked at... :afire:
homealone
21-10-2003, 19:01
I've just spoken to one of the ladies that works in the Guildford office - this is not a situation to be joked at... :afire:

I agree, until it is determined what the substance is, at least.

The updated story does seem to suggest someone has been a bit silly though....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/southern_counties/3210578.stm
dr wadd
21-10-2003, 20:19
I've just spoken to one of the ladies that works in the Guildford office - this is not a situation to be joked at... :afire:

But they say laughter is the best medicine, and if it were to be anthrax then I`m sure they are going to need some of that.
aliferste
21-10-2003, 20:47
THere was also some rolled up ten pound notes!!

I told Ya
:rolleyes:
Shaun
22-10-2003, 01:16
What truly sad situation :(
kronas
22-10-2003, 02:18
So kronas, you want to kick this one off?? :D

oh yeah what a concoction we have religion and asian writing :p

cant believe someone would make a mistake of giving a box of drugs instead of a STB :rolleyes:
Nemesis
22-10-2003, 08:41
oh yeah what a concoction we have religion and asian writing :p

cant believe someone would make a mistake of giving a box of drugs instead of a STB :rolleyes:
Apparently according to the news this morning, it was a dried cleaning powder !!
gary_580
22-10-2003, 09:16
i suspect that he had called CS as the STB wasnt working and as usual they told him it was a virus. CS have probably walked him through cleaning the virus out with ajax or something!!!
Dooby
22-10-2003, 13:59
from this
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/22/33513.html
it sounds like someone sent their 'stash' in by mistake LOL


*edit* forget that, just read the second bbc article LOL
kronas
22-10-2003, 14:52
Apparently according to the news this morning, it was a dried cleaning powder !!


if thats true what was the powder doing in a plastic bag :confused:
ntluser
22-10-2003, 15:23
The worrying thing in all this is that given it was reported in the newspapers there is always the danger of the incident being repeated.

Posting in an envelope or a parcel to any large company would cause major problems both for them and the police if say either item contained anthrax spores or some other infectious biological agent or indeed a harmful chemical agent.

It's also possible to post in radioactive materials, which are another deceptive way of infecting people with radiation poisoning. I doubt if any firms even have a geiger-counter built into their vetting of post.

Add to that the possibility of the posting in of explosive devices and it makes you realise how vulnerable we are both at home and work.

I think that Orangebird was right to treat this as a serious issue because it is not one that will go away.
Frank
22-10-2003, 15:48
Remind me to post their Head Office some flour next time they annoy me then :)
ntluser
22-10-2003, 15:52
Remind me to post their Head Office some flour next time they annoy me then :)

LOL!!

NTL will probably return it to you in your cell so you can bake yourself a cake!!

;)
Shaun
22-10-2003, 16:03
Remind me to post their Head Office some flour next time they annoy me then :)

:nono: but :rofl:
hobbie
23-10-2003, 01:43
Peter Savage, the Managing Director of NTL, said staff had handled the situation very well, and had been sent home in "good spirits" after being given the all clear.

He added that he hoped it would be "business as usual" at the company on Wednesday.





Please----lets hope not.
Escapee
23-10-2003, 07:39
The worrying thing in all this is that given it was reported in the newspapers there is always the danger of the incident being repeated.

Posting in an envelope or a parcel to any large company would cause major problems both for them and the police if say either item contained anthrax spores or some other infectious biological agent or indeed a harmful chemical agent.

It's also possible to post in radioactive materials, which are another deceptive way of infecting people with radiation poisoning. I doubt if any firms even have a geiger-counter built into their vetting of post.

Add to that the possibility of the posting in of explosive devices and it makes you realise how vulnerable we are both at home and work.

I think that Orangebird was right to treat this as a serious issue because it is not one that will go away.

I am not making light of something that "could" of been a very serious situation, but....

I am suprised that ntl have not suffered more similar situations considering the number of disgruntled customers that they have, I used to work in a building shared by a council department and the bomb scares were a regular occurance. I am also suprised that they have not received similar problems from the disgruntled/poorly treated employees, ex-employees and contractors that they have upset in the past.

I think it's more likely that some disgruntled ex-employees could cause far more serious problems than a disgruntled customer with some harmless white powder!
zoombini
24-10-2003, 12:46
is thi http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/southern_counties/3147855.stm from the same chap?

So what should you do on finding a parcel full of white powder? (assuming your in a room full of people & you open it)
ntluser
24-10-2003, 13:08
is thi http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/southern_counties/3147855.stm from the same chap?

So what should you do on finding a parcel full of white powder? (assuming your in a room full of people & you open it)

Hold your breath and exit the room taking the others with you and leave the biohazard team to check it out. :)
zoombini
24-10-2003, 13:42
But if your holding your breath, how do you tell the others to get out?

I can imagine the scene..
Zoombini gets mail, opens a package & discovers that its full of white powder.

Zoombini Stands up moves away from desk & then tells everyone else in the room to leave immediately because he has received a suspect package.

Zoombini leaves the room, informs management & gets told not to mess around, its probably a sample of dry powder fire extinguisher powder.

Meanwhile, other members of the department have sniffed & tasted it to see what it is.

But then thats the problem, people don't take things like this seriously..

I'm just glad that all our mail is opened down at the front offices.
(yes I know that they shouldn't, but they do & this is 1 of the only good things about it)

Asking management what the procedure is on receiving this would equally get dismissed.