TWO firms have failed to pay fines of £170,000 for after making “aggressive” cold calls to people offering equipment aimed at preventing similar nuisance calls.

Following an investigation by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) Poole-based company Nuisance Call Blocker Ltd was fined £90,000 and Telecom Protection Service Ltd, based in Bournemouth, received an £80,000 fine.

They had until January 5, 2016 to pay the fines but according to an ICO spokesman neither company has paid up.

“These fines have not yet been paid and we will be taking steps to attempt to recover them through the civil courts,” said the spokesman.

The fines were issued after both companies were found to be making cold calls with the aim of trying to sell products and services to block the type of nuisance calls they were making.

More than 1,000 complaints were received about the two companies between 2013 and 2015.

People who received calls from Telecom Protection Service Ltd said callers were “rude and aggressive”, appeared to be “preying on the elderly and vulnerable”, with some even put under pressure to provide their bank details.

Complainants stated that Nuisance Call Blocker Ltd had given the impression that its calls were part of a government-backed initiative.

Meanwhile Telecom Protection Service Ltd’s name seemed designed for it to be confused with the official Telephone Preference Service – a genuine body providing a free opt-out scheme for people who don’t want sales calls.

One victim of Telecom Protection Service Ltd told the ICO: “At present I have a family member who is dying.

"I receive constant sales calls and suspect every call to be related to their possible death”

ICO’s head of enforcement, Stephen Eckersley, said: “These calls have a real impact on people’s lives and that’s why we do what we do.

“Complainants told us that callers tried to obtain money by deception and the calls were misleading and a scam.

“This action should send out a clear message to other businesses that we will act to stop this behaviour.”

Alongside the fines, the ICO has also issued Nuisance Call Blocker Ltd and Telecom Protection Service Ltd with enforcement notices ordering them to stop making the calls.

Breaching an enforcement notice is a criminal offence.

The ICO worked closely with Bournemouth Trading Standards throughout the investigation which eventually lead to the £170,000 fines.

Bournemouth Trading Standards officer Andy Sherriff said he was delighted with the result.

“Unfortunately setting up a shabby business is a very easy thing to do if you can rent some office space and you have a contacts list,” said Mr Sherriff.

“I’m delighted we have managed to put a stop these two companies from causing people harm and distress but there are lots of consumers who have been, or could have been, defrauded by these nuisance callers.