LETTER: Scandalous failure to restore lifeline

Following a car accident on Thursday that brought down a telephone pole, the Barns Green Village Store has been [at the time of writing on Tuesday morning] without telephone and internet connection, so they cannot operate the Post Office or accept debit/credit cards.

Pensioners cannot draw their pension and others cannot get cash. BT and Openreach blame one another, but it is scandalous that they cannot restore our local lifeline.

Mobiles don’t work in Barns Green, yet BT withdrew the call box several years ago. The empty red telephone box is right outside the shop.

The parish council bought a defibrillator and installed it outside the shop, but you have to phone the emergency number to obtain the code to open the box. How are we supposed to call them now?

If you could follow up on this story, some publicity might get some action!

IAN MCBEAN

Trout Lane, Barns Green