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Widespread UK telephone code misconceptions, in particular brought on by the Big Number Change in 2000, have been reported by regulator Ofcom since publication of a report it commissioned in 2004.[1]
The telephone area code for most of Greater London and some surrounding areas is 020, not "0207", "0208" or "0203".[2] A study was commissioned in 2005 which found that only 13 per cent of respondents correctly identified the 020 code for London without prompting: 59 per cent incorrectly identified it as "0207" or "0208".[3] This is not just an issue of number appearance; the correct way to call a London landline number from a landline within the London telephone area is to dial the last 8 digits. The trunk prefix "0", and area dialling code "20", if included, are ignored.
Other area codes with similarly widespread misconceptions about the correct area code include Bristol, Cardiff, Coventry, Leeds, Leicester, Northern Ireland, Nottingham, Portsmouth, Reading, Sheffield and Southampton.