'What's going on?' Puzzled Horsham residents query chaotic TV reception

People throughout the district have been experiencing loss of television signals over the past week – leaving some unable to watch any programmes.

Residents in Southwater, Billingshurst, Coldwaltham, Roffey, Ashington, Rudgwick, Amberley, West Chiltington, Pulborough, Petworth and Storrington, as well as Horsham, are among those reporting problems.

Many have taken to social media expressing their frustration. One resident said: “We’ve had no terrestrial digital TV signal worth mentioning all weekend and the reception we did get was not HD. What’s going on?”

Many are cross at suddenly losing their live TV favourites such as Strictly Come Dancing and the Rugby World Cup.

Another said: “You can be watching for a few hours then it keeps breaking up, then ‘bad signal’ comes up then ‘channel no longer available.’ It did the same last night with BBC channels. Now it seems to be happening with all on Freeview.”

Radios are also reported to be affected. Another resident said: “The signal keeps dropping on the TV but I’ve also had the radio station change to a French channel.”

While another pointed out: “It’s happening all over the county and is also affecting car radios.”

Another puzzled viewer said: “It’s strange as you can watch the programmes for a few hours on the same channel and then it suddenly starts to lose the signal. Just don't understand it.”

Another said: “Had the same last night, really annoying.” And another said simply: “Thank goodness for catch up channels!”

Another cross viewer said: “Put the TV licence up, make us all go digital and we still can't watch TV. Great Saturday evening and didn’t see the end of England rugby either.”

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Another lamented: “Ours has completely gone now! No BBC, ITV or Channel 4.” And another: “We can get Southern on one TV but only London on the other.”

But some saw the funny side with one viewer pointing out: “ Alien invasion, mothership blocking the signal.”

Experts say that the loss of the signal is caused by atmospheric conditions with high pressure currently over the south of the country.