400 homes left without phone lines in Barking

Around 400 homes were left without phone lines today (Friday) after an underground cable was damaged by water.

Pensioners who do not use mobiles phones were said to have been “completely cut off” following the blackout on Leftley Estate in Woodbridge Road, Barking, on Wednesday.

Households have had to cope without broadband but BT engineers are working round the clock to restore connections.

Ex Dagenham Cllr Fred Barns said: “My daughter has been affected. There are a lot of elderly people without mobile phones. They’re completely cut off.”

A faulty cable damaged by water has been replaced in Longbridge Road and the communications giant hopes that homes will start to get back their connections later today.

A spokesman said: “A new cable has been put in and engineers will be working 24 hours a day until the service is restored to all.

“We have around 400 reported faults. We expect to be working over the whole weekend, but customers’ service will gradually start to be restored from today.”