Bilsdale transmitter fire: Warnings against aerial scam

The 1,032ft (315m) tall mast, seen here in three different images, caught fire on Tuesday

Households left without TV reception in a mast fire have been warned scammers are taking advantage of the situation.

The blaze at the Bilsdale mast on Tuesday impacted Freeview, DAB, and FM radio signals across North Yorkshire, Teesside and County Durham.

It has since been restored to some but thousands remain without coverage.

Darlington Council said there had been reports of a man knocking on doors claiming to be from the council saying a new aerial would fix the problem.

In a warning on its website, the council said: "The man has told our tenants about the transmitter in the area that was recently on fire and that if they pay £245 a new one can be fitted and they will get TV reception again.

"Please be aware that Darlington Borough Council has not instructed anybody to visit our properties and offer to fit new aerials.

"Always ask for identification, be wary of scams, and if unsure ring us directly for advice."

'Gradual process'

Mast operators, Arqiva, said it had managed to restore TV and radio services for hundreds of thousands of people out of the one million who were affected.

It said it was "assessing all options", but described the process as a "gradual one".

A spokesman for the BBC said: "A detailed imaging assessment of the fire-damaged mast was completed yesterday, which will allow engineers to assess the integrity of the structure.

"This assessment will take a number of days.

"Only at this point will it be determined whether it is safe to approach the mast and buildings to carry out physical assessments, and begin to consider restoration of services from this site, whether using the existing mast or temporary structures

"Work continues to bring more TV relays on air, and to assess candidate locations for the improving TV coverage."