Evening Standard from London, Greater London, England • 19

THURSDAY 29 OCTOBER 19 rj Tom Cruise to change NEWSliNlBRIEFj 1- moams EVENING STANDARD MM by Ian Morton CONSUMERS are no happier with the goods and services they are getting than they were seven years ago despite the growth in consumer awareness A survey shows that the proportion of buyers of goods and services feeling they have cause for complaint 43 per cent revealed in the latest Office of Fair Trading Research is virtually the same as that shown in a 1986 survey Three out of four consumers who are dissatisfied pursue their complaint the same proportion as before The proportions of traders who respond to the first complaint 68 per cent where the quality of goods is concerned and 34 cent in the case of services are unchanged have got no better but they with six per cent of customers unhappy while transport postal services and phone services trigger complaints among 5 per cent That is followed by building work electricity gas and water services (45 per cent) garages (four per cent) holidays and accommodation (35 per cent) consumer credit per cent) and electrical appliance servicing (two per cent) Among complaints about goods garages were worst at responding Among services professional people and transport services put things right first time in one in three cases Builders are worst rectifying problems after the first complaint in only 25 per cent of cases have also not said a spokesman at the OFT believe consumers are getting a better idea of how they can go about achieving redress for themselves but the mechanisms for redress have hardly Where goods are amcerned food and drink give rise to the most complaints with 85 per cent of consumers making one in the past year Next come household appliances then textiles clothes and footwear followed by cars and accessories Shortcomings among professional people top the complaints over services direction TOM CRUISE is swapping sides of the camera to make his debut as a film director The Hollywood heart-throb is set to sign an exclusive multi-million pound deal with Paramount Pictures which will allow him to direct a series of movies and star in them if he wishes Cruise started his own production company recently and was being wined and dined by movie moguls to Join their camps His films have grossed more than $15 'billion worldwide in front of the camera Cruise has scored big box office hits with Born On The Fourth Of July and Rain Man Cruise's production partner is Paula Wagner Who maafmninJiNl Mb career to megastar status Cruise: Wined and dined New sponsor saves Hampton Court show THE future of the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show by Sarah Grady is secure despite the with- 11 drawal of sponsor Network withdraw lies the continu-SouthEast say the ing fight for finance to sup-organisers port British most Adrian Boyd chief execu- crowded commuter net-tive of Le Teumier Boyd work It carries 450000 pas-Management the sengers into London every creators said today: day tiations have been under- Show organisers have for some time with sev- pointed out that the event potential sponsors and generates an extra £500000 we hope to announce some- in train travel thing Last July 200000 visitors The news will please thou- including the Queen and sands of keen gardeners Prince Philip attended the who attend the show the show largest event of its kind in Many of the small horti-Europe every year cultural firms who display Network SouthEast at Hampton Court every pulled out saying it could year have described it as no longer afford the £750000 for their trade it had paid for the past three Most have already corn- years mitted themselves to the Behind the decision to 1993 event The Long Good Buy Luxurious wool and cashmere coat from Admyra £159 Fenwick goes to greater lengths this season with the ultimate cover story from Admyra Available in tobacco black navy and stone sizes 10-16 from the coat department on the third floor Also at Tunbridge Wells Hope accused over land deal BOB HOPE stands to make £19 million by selling land he owns for a controversial mini-city on the outskirts of Los Angeles which critics say will increase traffic and smog while ruining the rolling countryside The pressure group Save Open Space complains that the project lets the veteran star sell his least developable land for a fortune while importing Los Angeles smog to the country DetSuptBill Grahamslaw In Evening Standard we carried a report about three complaints of sexual discrimination being brought by women police officers against the Metropolitan Police We have been asked to make it clear that only one of those related to Detective Superintendent Bill Grahamslaw and that complaint is to be contested We are sorry for any embarrassment caused to Mr Grahamslaw Inquiry call after flooding AN investigation is being 'demanded into why it took Thames' Water more than three hours to cap a burst water main The fracture flooded 40 homes in the Finsbury Park area and caused widespread traffic disruption on 15 October Islington Council has written to Thames Water demanding an inquiry Labour councillor Diane Burridge said: have a right to know why it took so long to isolate the.