BT Gloucester broadband outage sparks calls for compensation

Businesses in Gloucester are demanding compensation after one of BT's telephone lines in the city was severed, leaving them without broadband and landline services.

The problem was caused after Morgan Sindall - a contractor working for Severn Trent Water - cut the cable on Gouda Way, with the issue largely affecting residents and firms in the Elmbridge and Longlevens areas.

Chris Lucassi, operations manager at Bennetts Coaches, told the Citizen that the local transport company has been forced to purchase two more mobile phones to cope with the loss of landline usage.

"It's a cost to us that we will be looking at getting back," he insisted.

Gloucester BMW Specialists owner David Richards said his business has also been forced to switch to mobile phones and is unable to process card transactions.

"We will want compensation but I don't know whether we'll get it," he stated.

Aviva Premiership club Gloucester Rugby has also been affected, with its ticket fax machine not functioning while the problem persists.

A spokesman for Severn Trent previously told the newspaper that Morgan Sindall is working with BT to ensure disruption to customers is "kept to a minimum".