ELDERLEY and disabled residents left without their home telephones for six weeks have branded the situation a disgrace.

Bungalows in Elvet Close, West Cornforth, lost their landlines due to a faulty underground cable back in late July - and residents are still waiting for the problem to be fixed by BT.

For some their phones are a lifeline and they say they feel vulnerable and isolated without them.

Ray Gray, who has Multiple Sclerosis, said: “I cannot understand it, we’ve been given dates it would be sorted over and over again but still they haven’t sorted out our phones.

“I think it is a disgrace really.”

The 76-year-old retired joiner has had MS for 20 years but his condition has deteriorated so he has used a wheelchair for eight years and spends most of his days in bed.

“It is a real stress on me, my phone is the only contact I have with friends and family, who come to see me when they can but for the rest of the time I rely on my phone," he added.

“I need it to keep in touch with my stepdaughter and a cousin, she tried to contact me a while ago and was so worried she contacted the police.”

Neighbour Marjorie Carr, 78, said the people left without a landline cannot afford mobile phones or find them difficult to use.

She said: “It is a real lifeline for us, not everyone can use or afford a mobile so rely on their landline to contact people and feel safe.

“It is ridiculous it has gone on this long.

“We’ve been told it is a big job to sort and everyone I’ve spoken to has been polite and helpful but I’ve seen them out a few times digging in the same hole and still it hasn’t been fixed.”

BT said it has been unable to provide a temporary service while repairs are carried out due to the positioning of cables and local capacity.

Engineers have tried to fix the cable in situ twice without joy so it will instead be fully replaced and each customer reconnected one by one.

A spokesperson said: “We are very sorry for the length of time taken to restore service to customers in West Cornforth.

“Engineers have tried to locate and repair a faulty underground cable in situ but this has not proved possible. “Civil engineering work is required to build new underground duct and joint box.

“We estimate that this work will complete in the next few days.

“A new cable will then be fed in and all affected customers will be reconnected onto that cable as quickly as possible.”