FRUSTRATED residents are set to be left without internet connection after a driver knocked down a telegraph pole in the village of Longwick.

A total of 32 homes have been left in the lurch following the incident last week - prompting fears for those who have work from home and youngsters trying to revise for upcoming exams.

Nicky Coates, who runs the Chadwell Hill Farm B&B on Lower Icknield Way, says the telegraph pole was knocked down near the entrance to their property and said residents have been told the problem may not be fixed before May 10.

It means dozens of residents will be left unconnected for weeks.

Ms Coates slammed BT and OpenReach and said the incident is either “rural discrimination or just plain bad customer service”.

She said: “Apparently BT can send out a 4G to give temporary internet access but they are refusing to do so because we are on the wrong package, despite admitting a month is an unacceptable wait time.

“With people working from home, children revising for A-levels and GCSEs, plus trying to run a business, they just aren’t interested in helping their customers.

“Rural communities and economies are already being affected by poor broadband speeds.

“This is just the icing on the cake of disadvantage we face.”

An Openreach spokesperson said: “We’re really sorry that residents in Longwick are currently out of service.

“One of our poles has been hit by a vehicle, and all of our infrastructure including the pole needs to be replaced.

“We’re doing everything we can to get this work done as quickly as possible but this involves arranging traffic management so that the work can be done safely.

“We have just been granted permission for the work to be done on Tuesday, April 23, and hope to have everyone back to normal after that.

“We would like to thank the residents of Longwick for their patience.”