Cable theft leaves Moorends residents disconnected

Hundreds of people have been left without phone and internet access for several days after cables were stolen in South Yorkshire.

Some businesses and residents in Moorends, near Doncaster, have had to rely on mobile phones since the cables were taken on 31 August.

Residents said it had caused "chaos" and left elderly people vulnerable.

BT said repair work had taken place over the weekend and a small number of faults remained.

In a statement, BT said: "The faults experienced are as a result of a theft of underground cable in the early hours of 31 August.

"At the moment we have around 180 customers who have reported loss of service due to this crime.

"Engineers have been working on replacing the cable and have started work on connecting each of the individual lines affected.

"The nature of the damage makes it painstaking work to repair.

"Service providers may be able to offer diverts to another phone... so anyone affected should speak to their service provider if they have not already done so."

BT is doubling its reward to £2,000 for anybody who can provide information leading to a conviction over the theft.