BT tackles broadband cable damage
BT has been forced to replace nearly 3km of copper cabling after damage by thieves left around 1,400 customers without telephone and internet access over the weekend.
Connections in the Farningham area of Kent were affected after six copper cables were cut in five places.
A spokeswoman for BT said: "Our engineers are working round the clock to repair extensive damage. It is a very complex and time-consuming repair job. Nearly three kilometres of cabling is having to be replaced."
"We are doing all we can to restore services as quickly as possible. Around 1,400 customers were affected and services have now been restored for most of them and engineers are confident that barring any unforeseen circumstances all service will be restored by tomorrow evening."
Police have warned that metal, in particular copper cabling, is seen as an attractive and expensive commodity for thieves. It is believed copper wire is melted down and sold on to suppliers worldwide.
According to BT, more than 200 people were arrested across the UK last year for stealing from its network and has said it is taking cable theft very seriously.
In February, BT customers in the Western Isles were left with no telephone line after thieves stole copper cables, while an estimated 20,000 worth of cabling was stolen from underground BT and sewer ducts in Surrey in March.
A BT spokesman said: "When these acts of criminal damage occur it can have a severe impact on local communities with loss of services for households and businesses; this can affect people's ability to contact emergency services and have serious consequences for individuals and businesses."
"Whenever we suffer this kind of incident, engineers pull out all the stops to restore service and minimise any impacts as quickly as possible."
BT said its security team is working in partnership with police, other agencies and industry to gather information and intelligence to tackle the issue. It has appealed to local residents to be vigilant and to report any suspicious behaviour to the police.
Last month, a serious flood at a BT telephone exchange in London caused disruption to broadband, telephone, mobile and online payment systems. Tens of thousands of customers were left without a broadband or telephone service.
