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Sliced cables restored after raid | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
BT has restored telephone services to thousands of customers cut off when thieves sliced through cables. | BT has restored telephone services to thousands of customers cut off when thieves sliced through cables. |
Emergency calls had to be made on mobile phones as up to 35,000 homes and businesses were affected by damage caused during a burglary in Birmingham. | Emergency calls had to be made on mobile phones as up to 35,000 homes and businesses were affected by damage caused during a burglary in Birmingham. |
Raiders had cut through BT cables at an exchange near Handsworth sorting office in the early hours of Sunday. | |
Full service was resumed by 0630 GMT on Monday but BT warned of occasional problems as repairs were completed. | Full service was resumed by 0630 GMT on Monday but BT warned of occasional problems as repairs were completed. |
Alternative ways | |
The damage also cut off the emergency alarms for Wrekin Housing Trust tenants in Telford. | The damage also cut off the emergency alarms for Wrekin Housing Trust tenants in Telford. |
Employees visited residents who were affected among its 1,300 sheltered housing properties to advise on alternative ways of calling for help. | Employees visited residents who were affected among its 1,300 sheltered housing properties to advise on alternative ways of calling for help. |
The trust told BBC News there were no emergency calls while the service was down. | |
BT said it had made good progress overnight in repairing the cables which were deliberately damaged, badly affecting telephone coverage in northern Birmingham and parts of the Black Country. | BT said it had made good progress overnight in repairing the cables which were deliberately damaged, badly affecting telephone coverage in northern Birmingham and parts of the Black Country. |
The company predicted that engineers would be finished by teatime on Monday. | The company predicted that engineers would be finished by teatime on Monday. |
A spokesperson for BT said: "Our cables were deliberately cut. | |
"We can't speculate on the motive behind this. We're working closely with the police on the matter. | |
"All of our network resilience and facilities were brought into play which was why customers were restored so quickly." |