NEIGHBOURS in Meltham say communications giant BT left them hanging on for vital repairs.

Householders in Crosland Edge were without telephone or broadband for three weeks after failed work by engineers.

Dr Alan Calder and neighbours Brian Oldham and Chris and Liz Ryan were cut off without warning on January 3.

Despite calls to BT’s India-based helplines every other day – and profuse apologies – the service was not restored.

Eventually – after turning in desperation to the Examiner – they were re-connected 22 days later.

“BT just abandoned us,” said Dr Calder. “I was ringing up every other day and always spoke to call centres.

“They try their best and always apologise but nothing gets done.

“I have tried to speak to a human being in the UK but that proved impossible.

“Things moved very quickly after I got the Examiner involved. It’s a shame you have to get the press involved before these big companies will actually do something to help their customers.”

Dr Calder, 68, a retired chemist turned novelist, said the problem was caused when contractors for BT OpenReach turned up on January 3 and replaced a telegraph pole in nearby Harrison Lane.

He said he and his neighbours had no notification that they would lose service while the repairs took place.

They were promised the service would be quickly restored but the contractors left and never returned.

Dr Calder said: “From what I understand now the outside contractor did not re-connect all the customers properly.

“Apparently they needed access to our homes when they had replaced the pole but didn’t bother telling us.”

Dr Calder was forced to delay publication of his second novel The Glorious Twelfth because he had no internet access while neighbour Mr Oldham, 86, suffers ill health and was left anxious without a telephone lifeline.

Dr Calder was under the impression the problem had been solved.

However a BT spokesman said the repair to a cable was only temporary.

He added: “The full repair still requires road closures etc and we are hopeful that will go ahead this week although we are still waiting confirmation of this.

“I would like to apologise to customers in Meltham who have been without their telephone service.

“Service has now been restored and we plan to complete the full and permanent repair to that section of cable very shortly.”