RESIDENTS in Ombersley have voiced their concerns after being left without landlines or internet access following the removal of a telegraph pole.

The pole, on Owl Hill, Lineholt, Ombersley, was damaged after being hit by a car on May 2, and BT engineers came out to site to assess the damage.

The pole was subsequently removed, and the stump was left, protected by a traffic cone.

Unfortunately the removal of the pole has meant that a number of nearby residents have had their landlines and broadband connections cut off while they wait for the pole to be replaced.

One resident, Jeff Smith, said: “They could have taken measures to repair the pole but instead they have just left it and buggered off for a week. They haven’t told us anything and there are elderly people here who are totally cut off. There must be about 40 people who have been affected and it’s just really poor.”

A spokesman for BT Openreach said they had received 15 fault reports regarding the pole. They added: “Engineers went along straight away to make the area safe. They need to replace the damaged pole and install two new spans of overhead cable measuring tens of metres.

“It is regrettable when Openreach suffers any kind of damage to its network. Our priority is always to restore services to those affected as quickly as possible, which is what we are doing in this case.