Homes lose phone and Internet as Bromsgrove's BT cables cut

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HUNDREDS of residents across Bromsgrove have been left without their telephone landlines and Internet access after British Telecom had two of its underground cables cut.

The incident happened at some time between yesterday afternoon and evening (Thursday) in the area of Kidderminster Road and Church Lane.

It is unknown yet as to whether it was done to steal the metal or as a malicious attack, but a spokeperson confirmed customers reliant on the Bromsgrove exchange were affected.

The company has had more than 300 faults reported so far, but it is thought even more have been hit.

And, a spokesperson told The Standard, it was unsure as to when the problems would be resolved, but it was unlikely to be before Monday.

"We have suffered an attack on our network which has caused loss of service to hundreds of customers in the Bromsgrove area.

"At this early stage it is difficult to advise customers when service will be restored as the location of the damage and replacement of cable may require traffic management.

"Engineers are on site assessing the damage and will restore service as quickly as possible," she added.

Because of the location of the cables, the maintenance work being carried out could also cause traffic problems.

BT urged anyone affected to contact their service providers to arrange diversions to mobile phones to avoid missing important calls.

The company has also urged anyone with any information on the incident to call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Those supplying information leading to arrests and subsequent successful convictions could get a £1,000 reward.

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