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

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BROMSGROVE residents who have been without their telephone landline and internet access since last week may see the service restored as early as tomorrow (Tuesday).

Hundreds of customers were affected after vandals cut two of British Telecom's underground cables sometime Thursday afternoon (October 18).

The incident happened 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 900 faults reported so far.

A spokesperson confirmed some customers would be reconnected tomorrow but it was still unknown when the issue would be fully resolved.

Anyone who has suffered a loss of business as a result of the incident should contact their individual service provider to enquire about compensation.

On Friday (October 19) a spokesperson told the Standard: "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 people to contact their service providers to arrange diversions to mobile phones to avoid missing important calls.

The company also advised anyone with any information about 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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