Patients struggled to contact their GPs’ surgery after hundreds of phone lines were knocked out by water getting into cables.

Park End Surgery in Park End, Hampstead, had to rely on a single mobile phone for seven days after its land lines were hit last Tuesday (July 30).

BT said the loss of service, which affected hundreds of residents and several businesses, was due to water damage and not because of a rumoured cable theft in South Hill Park.

Lines at the doctors’ practice were up and running again on Tuesday and a BT spokesman said all other problems should be fully resolved by Sunday.

He said: “There was a loss of service reported on July 30 in the South Hill Park area, which was due to water damage.

“There have been more than 100 reported faults. Engineers are currently replacing around 200 metres of cable and are working as quickly as possible to provide full service by August 11 [Sunday].

“We apologise to customers for the inconvenience caused.”