DELAYS in repairing underground cables which left around 200 homes without a telephone connection for two weeks have been slammed as "unacceptable" by an MP.

City of Durham MP Roberta Blackman-Woods, whose office was one of the properties affected, has called on BT to to resolve the issue "as a matter of urgency".

Water damage to an underground cable has left residents and businesses in parts of Durham City without a connection since August 31.

BT says there have been 196 reported faults in the Bishop’s Gate and Western Hill area.

The telecommunications company has had to replace underground ducting and install 120 meters of cable under the road.

The cable installation was expected to be completed by the end of Thursday, when engineers will start connecting customers to the new cable, one by one.

A delay in starting the work was caused by having to apply to Durham County Council for permission to close the road. The northbound section of road between North Road roundabout and Sutton Street was closed for a week but re-opened yesterday.

Mrs Blackman-Woods, said: “The situation regarding telephone lines in Durham is simply not acceptable especially as the information coming from BT has been both conflicting, vague and inadequate.

“People should have been fully informed from the outset and told what has caused the problem.

“It has taken my office days to find the correct person to liaise with about this situation and I am extremely disappointed that with so many of my constituents affected BT or Openreach did not contact me about what had caused this major exchange issue so I could let people know.

"I would have been more than happy to offer my assistance where possible and to contact other relevant agencies to help resolve the problem much earlier.

“I am very worried about residents particularly those who are vulnerable and rely on landlines for essential communication and BT need to sort this problem out now as a matter of urgency.”

A BT spokesperson said: “We are very sorry for the loss of service in the Bishop’s Gate and Western Hill area. This has been caused by water damage to a main underground cable.

“Work to restore service has taken longer than expected as underground ducting in the vicinity of Durham train station had to be replaced.

“Engineers are now installing 120 meters of new underground cable which should be complete by the end of Thursday. They will then begin the painstaking task of connecting each customer back onto the new cable one by one.”