ASHFORD Chamber of Commerce has been forced to cancel the membership of a Sellindge-based company after they bombarded fellow members with an inappropriate e-mail.

Membership manager Jo James has written personal letters to all 920-member companies apologising unreservedly for the inconvenience caused.

She said: "Members will be aware of the serious disruption to systems by a 14-page message regarding Pay Pal Accounts. The company responsible has had their membership revoked and all member information removed from their computer.

“The Chamber has always encouraged responsibility and discretion in the use of emails, trusting members will only use the lists for appropriate purposes of promoting their own business to potential customers.

"This is the way members have acted in the past, and I am sure will do in the future. This company sent out a pyramid-selling type of communication that was wholly inappropriate.

"There is an unspoken code and ethic between members of 100 per cent trust in each other. And that must be protected. This was not to do with their main business and although they had been members since 2002 they had to go."

She confirmed that the company was Chrone Television, a business run by Glen Davies that makes video presentations and CD Roms for companies.

"We do feel that this is an unfortunate time for this situation to arise, just as email and e-commerce are beginning to make a real impact on business communication."