PENALLT residents have experienced a month without telephone or internet access after a fallen tree caused disruption to the connection in Lone Lane.

The connection was severed on Tuesday 29th December and a dozen households were affected. Despite residents contacting BT, the problem was only rectified last week.

The Rigby family, residents on Lone Lane, voiced their concerns over the safety of fellow neighbours who were without connection for an extended period of time. Derek Rigby said phone connection was vital in an emergency, particularly in the rural area of Penallt.

Derek Rigby said: “We informed BT about the problem but nothing was done about it. We were told BT would get back to us with updates but this didn’t happen.”

BT came to fix the problem four weeks after the phone and internet connection was cut off.

Jeannie Rigby said: “Three vans arrived last week and were there for five minutes. The next day our neighbour said they were back online.

“No one had told anyone on the road we now had internet access. All they did was connect the wires. This could have been done four weeks ago.”

After BT fixed the internet, the phone wires were then crossed meaning some residents were able to make outgoing calls but could not receive any calls.

Resident Helen Beale, who with her father runs Cherry Orchard Farm Galloways on Lone Lane, said: “We were re-connected finally last Tuesday.

“BT managed to cross wires with our neighbours and we finally got the internet back last Thursday.

“Over a month without communications was not helpful. By all accounts it’s only temporary, they haven’t finished the work yet.”

Councillor Debby Blakebrough said: “It’s a concern with BT, they’ve again taken on too many contracts and they can’t deal with it all.

“To be disconnected for weeks and weeks is appalling. BT have bitten off more than they can chew.

“I was contacted by a resident who had to go to Monmouth Library to use the internet. Rural areas like Penallt are totally cut off, and if someone had collapsed it would have been a huge problem as mobile phones don’t tend to work there either.”

The Beacon has approached BT for a response about the delay.

A 30 metre high telecommunication tower for Penallt was approved by MCC’s planning committee on Tuesday 5th January. The tower comes as part of a contract to supply rural areas of Wales with superfast broadband.

The tower will enable the surrounding area to benefit from higher internet speeds.