0207 & 0208 Do NOT exist as London dialling codes. London is 020
When British Telecom (BT) introduced the latest series of dialling codes in the UK the information as to the London code of 020 was totally misinterpreted by a large number of London users.
Many started to advertise their numbers as 0207 and 0208, whereas these are not codes.
Try dialling a London number from within London using only the last 7 digits (e.g 123 4567 from a number advertised as 0207 123 4567), it won’t work, you need to dial 7123 4567.
As a telephone answering service provider, we are asked by clients to provide them with an 0207 number because they think that it denotes Central London and any number with an 8, does not.
There are many 020 8??? ???? numbers in Trafalgar Square and you cant get more central London than that.
Now we have the 020 3 numbers and guess what, people advertise them as an 0203 code.
So in brief, 020 is the code for London. London numbers starting with 8 as the first number of the 8 numbers that make up London numbers no longer denote OUTER London.
So please don’t advertise 0207/0208/0203 codes on your vans, letter heads, billboards etc.
It is incorrect.
