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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Sliced cables restored after raid | Sliced cables restored after raid |
| (3 days 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. | 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 | 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. | 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. | 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. | "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." | "All of our network resilience and facilities were brought into play which was why customers were restored so quickly." |