Betacom Plc, where Amstrad Plc has 60%, warns that its profits will be hit by problems with a new line of cordless telephones and by sluggish consumer buying so that results for the second half will be significantly below expectations; Norman Becker, chief executive, said the Chinese-made cordless phones introduced last Christmas had had teething problems and had failed the company’s quality tests in substantial numbers, and other products such as telephones and telephone answering machines were suffering from the continuing stagnant demand, Becker added; it also expects to make serious loss on the sale of its former head office in Bristol which was in the books at ?298,000.
