INVESTMENT totalling more than £2 million is to be ploughed into creating a hi-tech BT call centre in Canterbury. The existing centre in New Dover Road is being targeted as part of the company's £6.4 million development of next-generation centres in the South East.

More than 170 people are already employed at the centre, known as Beckett House, but employer numbers are expected to swell as staff from centres in Dover, Margate and Maidstone, which are closing, move there. BT spokesman Paul Dorrell said: "We expecting people will want to relocate to Canterbury but we don't know yet how many people will make that choice. Certainly those people who want to stay with the company and work in the call centre will move to this contact centre."

Margate, Maidstone and Dover are among 53 BT centres which will close during the next two years. Canterbury is one of three 'contact centres' being set up, the other two will be in Milton Keynes and Oxford.

Patricia Vaz, BT Retail's managing director of customer services, said: "We do not underestimate the impact of this transformation project and virtually everyone in our existing call centre operation will be affected in one way or another. Even though this will mean upheaval for many of our people, it is a step we cannot shy away from if we are to ensure BT's call centre operations are kept in-house and are given the capabilities to achieve the twin goals of industry-best customer service and increased efficiency."