A report has highlighted "unacceptable failures" in BT's emergency power equipment after Hampshire's 999-system crashed for five hours last spring.

Alarms designed to detect power cuts did not work at the BT building in Southampton on April 25th.

Oftel, the Government telecoms watchdog, issued a report on Wednesday with recommendations to prevent the 999-system failing again.

It has told BT to improve its power failure alarm systems, check communications at emergency service control rooms nationwide and improve engineer response time.

Jason Mann of BT said they had already implemented or would be taking action on the all report's recommendations.

He added no disciplinary measures were being taken against BT employees.

"That kind of action was not appropriate in this case. We had a highly unusual power failure in our communications equipment."

BT and the county's Police Authority met behind closed doors in Winchester on Tuesday for a sneak preview of the Oftel report.

Simon Hayes, who chairs the authority, said BT had assured him the 999-system was now "more resilient".

Oftel's report does not contain the whole story of the 999-system failure.

"Naturally there are some things which have been deleted for security reasons," said an Oftel spokeswoman.

Romsey MP, Sandra Gidley, is concerned about BT and the police authority holding secret meetings and that Oftel's public report does not tell the full story.

"I'm glad Oftel have published their report, but I hope it will be prepared to share all the facts with MPs to satisfy us this will not happen again.

"I will still try to see a full copy of the report," she said.

On the evening the 999-system failed, police stations across Hampshire were kept open all night.

The county's fire and rescue service placed all 34 retained crews on standby and drafted in 20 extra officers.