Teletext has been facing execution for quite some time. Originally planned to be phased out around the time of the digital TV switchover in 2012, the service's shutdown was brought forward back in July to January 2010. But now, it seems that the plug has been pulled extra-early.

The Daily Mail and General Trust group says that the shut-off date has been hastened as CEO Richard Titus hunted for cost-cutting opportunities over the last few months. The bits of Teletext that make money - the holidays, cars, racing, games and ringtone flogging pages - will stay live.

The company pinned the blame for the shutdown on: "the continued fragmentation of television audiences and the growth in the use of the Internet has resulted in a significant reduction in the audience and volume of commercial activity generated by the television services".

One Teletext fan we spoke to told Pocket-lint: "Teletext was a good, constant, reliable, friendly place. Its music coverage was years ahead of the internet in that it was updated daily - far better than the music papers. It also took advantage of user-generated content before anyone else, relying on a very small number of full-time staff".

What are your memories of Teletext? Share your best Bamboozle scores in the comments.