AN Alton man terrorised the Samaritans with thousands of obscene phone calls, a court heard.

In one night Martin Milam (33) rang the crisis helpline 159 times.

In one three-month spell, he made more than 3,500 calls to 20 separate offices.

A ÒMartinÕs LogÓ was even created to monitor calls from the hospital porter who is based at Chase Hospital, Bordon.

Some Samaritan volunteers were said to be so frightened during his seven-year campaign that they needed psychiatric treatment.

One woman, who took a series of sexually explicit calls, begged him: ÒPlease stop calling, we are not a sex line, we are here for people in need.Ó

And on one occasion operators were so distressed that they took the unprecedented step of taking a phone off the hook for 20 minutes.

The organisation, whose service promises anonymity, became so concerned with MilamÕs behaviour that it broke its code of conduct and released his name to the police.

Milam was said to have begun the harassment after his marriage broke up, when he turned to drink and fell into depression.

A judge at Winchester Crown Court imposed a restraining order banning him from making abusive calls to SamaritansÕ offices.

He was also sentenced to 100 hoursÕ community service and given a three-year community rehabilitation order.

Judge Michael Broderick told Milam, who admitted harassment: ÒThe language you used was very demeaning.

ÒWhat it must have been like to be on the receiving end simply does not bear thinking about.Ó

Commenting on the verdict, a communications manager for the North Hampshire Primary Care Trust confirmed that Martin Milam was currently employed at Chase Hospital, Bordon. She said that the trust would be looking into the implications of the issues raised within the case.