Cable theft in Primrose Hill leaves hundreds without internet or phone

Hundreds of people were left without internet connections or phone lines for nearly a week after an attempted cable theft.

Homes and businesses in Primrose Hill, Chalk Farm and Belsize Park were affected as BT engineers struggled for days to resolve the fault.

The telecoms company received more than 400 reports of network problems from Monday of last week and service did not return until Sunday (June 23).

Public relations worker Oliver Finegold, 37, of Eton College Road, Chalk Farm, said: “Like a lot of people, I work at home and send emails and I just need an internet connection.

“I need a landline as well. It’s just a basic utility. It’s astonishing it can take so long to fix.”

A BT spokesman said the attempted theft took place in Elsworthy Road, Primrose Hill. He apologised and said that engineers had worked around the clock to fix five large cables.

Meanwhile, there have also been communication problems for residents further up the hill in Hampstead in recent weeks.

Users of the mobile phone network Three have been struggling for reception for weeks due to a broken phone mast.

Steve Taylor, who moved to Rosslyn Hill at the start of May, said: “I only get a mobile signal by leaving Hampstead. After three weeks of complaints to Three, they told me that the local mast is broken and awaiting repair.

“They can’t actually say when it will be fixed.”