North Yorkshire
Couple 'stranded' after three weeks without phone
A WORRIED son says his elderly parents have been left stranded by a telephone service provider, after their line went dead without any explanation.
Raymond and Agnes Kirby, of Romanby, near Northallerton, have been without the use of their home phone for the past three weeks.
The couple, both 87, celebrate their 66th wedding anniversary on Friday.
Their concerned son, Hayden, is worried that the couple's friends will not be able to get in touch to congratulate them.
He is also worried about the safety risks of having no telephone access, with both his parents suffering from ill health.
Mr Kirby said: "My dad had a stroke a couple of months ago, and if anything happened to him now, my mum would not be able to call the ambulance.
"I only live around the corner from them, but my mum is not very steady on her feet, so it would be difficult for her to even come and get me. It is very worrying."
Mr Kirby said his parents have been without their telephone since April 17.
He said: "At first, they could ring out, but nobody could get through to them. After that, the line just went completely dead."
Mr Kirby said he has had several conversations with Tiscali, the company that provides his parents' telephone and internet, but has not got anywhere.
"They keep saying they will get round to fixing it. The last thing I was told was that my complaint had been referred to management level. I cannot understand why it is taking them so long."
Mr Kirby says he has spoken to British Telecom, who say their is no problem with the line at his parents' house.
His parents, of The Fairway, in Romanby, have access to a mobile telephone, but Mr Kirby says this is not practical for them.
He said: "My mum cannot use the mobile. It would be no good to her if anything happened to my dad.
"You can get mobile phones designed for older people, but why should they resort to that when they are paying for the home phone?
"They have done nothing to deserve having their phone cut off."
No one from Tiscali was available for comment.
3:54pm Wednesday 7th May 2008
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