Thousands of homes lose internet during sewer repairs

A suspected accident by contractors carrying out sewer repair work has resulted in an internet and phone-line blackout for about 3,000 customers in part of Merseyside.

Broadband provider Openreach said workers carrying out sewer excavation work on Hall Lane, Maghull, caused "significant damage" to part of its underground network.

Businesses and residents in the area have been without internet or landlines since about 13:00 BST on Thursday - and so far there is "no timescale" for repairs, it added.

Joy Sinnott, who works at Meadows Pharmacy on Liverpool Road South near the excavation site, said the issue had caused "chaos".

She said staff at the pharmacy first realised something was wrong at lunchtime on Thursday, but initially believed it was their own network provider.

However, customers soon began reporting a raft of problems throughout the area.

Since then, the business has had to cope with no phone line, one working computer and no card payment machines.

"It is crazy just how much everything depends on the internet," Sinnott said.

"Obviously it's one day but with no internet we've got no access to patient prescriptions, patient records and with the phones obviously we haven't got access to GP surgeries."

Sinnott said staff had bought a dongle and were trying to use wifi hotspot features on their mobile phones to get by.

"There's end-of-life medication, antibiotics. There could be like an urgent prescription for a child or an elderly person so it does vary, but we are trying our best to prioritise what we believe needs prioritising," she said.

"It's carnage but we have policies in place for if such things happen or if there's a power outage so we're just trying to work our best against those policies, but I'd be lying if I said it was easy.

"It's very stressful at the minute, very chaotic, but we're doing our best and all the people in the community are really understanding as well."

Openreach said engineers had worked through the night to assess the damage and begin repairs.

It said: "Several cables have been severely affected, and the excavation site must be made safe as it's currently unstable.

"Some people in the area are experiencing a loss of phone and broadband. We know how important these connections are and we're very sorry for this disruption. We're working as quickly and safely as possible to restore service."

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