A COMMUNICATION provider has been criticised as up to 20 properties were left without internet and a landline for two weeks.

Residents in Cliddesden have complained to BT Openreach after finding their communication services had gone down and were no longer working on Friday, June 16.

Paul Stowell, wh o live s in Farleigh Road, was affected and said the firm – which connects 30 million customers – “were totally incapable” of resolving the problem.

He said: “It looks as though there is a problem with the trees which has knocked out some of the communications. We as residents can see that so why can’t BT?

“There was an engineer who spent hours there the other day and even though we told him the issue, he didn’t listen.

“Goodness knows how many people have been affected. There are loads of businesses around here. I dare say they’re having problems too.”

Mr Stowell said he had received numerous calls to his mobile from worried relatives and friends who would normally call him on his landline.

According to BT website, the company “uses the powe r of communication to make a better world” – a statement Mr Stowell said was “ironic”.

BT confirmed that it had so far received one reported fault and that the aerial fault could affect up to 20 customers.

An Openreach spokesman, added: “Openreach engineers are fixing an aerial fault on a telegraph pole.

“The repair is complex and time-consuming, as tree cutting is required before a section of aerial cable can be replaced.

“We apologise to those customers who have had their service affected.

“Engineers are working as quickly as they can and barring any unforeseen challenges, hope to have service restored by June 28, 2017.”

At the time of publication the work had not been carried out.