An internet outage in Bouldnor has left some BT Openreach users without access to on line services for several weeks.

Customers have had no home phone lines, access to TV channels has denied, and they have been unable to send or receive emails.

At least three residents at Port La Salle have been without internet between two and four weeks.

Chris Batchelor said: “We have missed hospital and doctors’ appointments and have been out for touch with our family for a fortnight. An engineer came from BT to check the system in my home and he said everything was fine, so it was an Openreach problem outside.

“We have been constantly calling BT on the mobile, sometimes I’ve been on the phone for an hour at a time. Every time it’s someone different, sometimes they’re in a different country! We have had all sorts of promises but nothing has happened.

“I wanted to track my son who was doing a charity run over 48 hours trying to get as far from Meriden, near Coventry,
as possible, but was unable to do so; it was very frustrating. I have to go into local car parks just to get a signal on my phone and read emails.

“I’m furious, especially as I’ve just had an email to say my BT bill is ready! I just want the internet back. I don’t understand why an engineer hasn’t turned up.”

Others have been just as frustrated. Another resident, who was without internet for three weeks, said: “My husband works from home and has had to go into Yarmouth to use his laptop. We pay for Amazon Prime and Netflix but can’t watch the channels, not even iPlayer.

“We were told an engineer would be on site last week and no one turned up. We just don’t know what’s happening.

“My husband saw an engineer here on Tuesday and asked if he was going to fix our Internet but he replied that he was going to a different address! He said he didn’t even realise we had a problem.”

Alan Milbank, who lives along Bouldnor Road, added: “We have been without it for more than two weeks. It’s been quite traumatic as we haven’t been able to contact our families.

“It’s been very upsetting. My next-door neighbour is without it as well. They keep telling me someone will come round, but that hasn’t happened.”

A BT Openreach spokesman said, on Wednesday afternoon: “Our engineers have now fixed a fault with broadband equipment at our Yarmouth exchange – which left several premises in the local area without service.

“The fault was discovered in the telephone exchange headend or main hub for phone and broadband connections in the local area – which needed a complex solution that hasn’t been quick to fix. We would like to thank the customers affected for their patience.”