On Mon, 05 Oct 2020 16:50:23 +0100, Scott wrote:

Could you be prosecuted and/or face a claim for compensation for
damage to the public telephone network?

Unlikely to actually damage the network, but Openreach would
charge a
chargeable repair to your phone/ISP who would then bill you.

Okay, even if it doesn't cause damage could a short circuit disrupt
other lines or necessitate diagnostic work at the exchange?

No on the assumption that it is only a line shorted to itself.
Multiple lines shorted to each other might up set things but unlikely
to cause damage. Both would be flagged, eventually, by the automatic
line testing that goes on. Multiple line faults in the same cable
might prod Openreach into fixing it before any faults have been
reported.

--
Cheers
Dave.