Dorset Sky Talk phone customers without service for weeks

Sarah Self depends on her phone line for customers to be able to get in touch to make nail appointments

Sky telephone customers have criticised the company after they were left without a landline for more than a month.

Dozens of people in north Dorset lost service in October, and despite visits by engineers faults have not been fixed.

One business customer told the BBC trade was down as a result of the problem.

Sky said it was working hard to identify the cause of the fault.

Sarah Self runs her nail and beauty business from her home in Okeford Fitzpaine, near Sturminster Newton, and is reliant on her landline as mobile reception is poor in the area.

She fears her reputation is being "compromised by not having a phone line" over the past five-and-a-half weeks.

"People can ring in, I can't hear them, but they can hear me. So, I have to explain to them that I will ring them back," she said.

The nail technician cannot take calls from customers, access messages on her ansaphone or call people back

Mark Kiernan lives in Shillingston and has been having difficulties for about eight weeks, which started when the landline started working intermittently.

He contacted Sky after the Wi-Fi and internet kept "dropping in and out".

"Sky seem to have a complete lack of resolve to get this issue sorted out, it's absolutely ridiculous," he said.

"They sent an email a couple of days ago offering £8.40 compensation, which is an insult frankly."

David Taylor, left, from Child Okeford and Mark Kiernan, right, from Shillingstone, have both had issues with their Sky phones

David Taylor, from nearby Child Okeford, had the same intermittent problem begin in mid-October.

He said: "It's getting frustrating to say the least. I've been trying to get a doctor's appointment - they say we'll phone you, well obviously they can't.

"It's been a battle between BT and Sky, both blaming each other and we're getting nowhere."

In a statement Sky said: "We're aware a small number of customers may be experiencing intermittent issues with their Sky Talk service.

"Together, Sky and Openreach engineers are working hard to identify the cause of the fault. We apologise for any inconvenience caused."

BT Openreach confirmed to the BBC the issues facing Sky customers was an issue with Sky's equipment only.