Residents take a dim view of digital TV

Whole areas of the town are unable to receive digital channels through one-off payment set-top boxes known as Freeview.

The issue has been taken up by Bexhill MP Greg Barker who met cheesed-off residents at Cobham Towers, Sutton Place, on Friday.

Several residents there bought the set-top boxes, which can be purchased at around 80, but failed to receive any signal.

They then had a battle on their hands when they took them back to the shops for refunds.

Residents' spokesman Derrick Smith said: "It affects this whole building but we can't just be a tiny pocket. It must affect other parts of the town.

"Not only do we finance BBC digital television channels with our licence fee, we have to pay 80 for a box for the pleasure of watching these channels only to get absolutely no reception. It's a swindle."

Mr Barker wrote to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to find out what the problem was and was disappointed with a frankly-unreadable three-page reply from Minister Andrew McIntosh.

He said: "All it did was make vague comments about all analogue television services switching to digital some time between 2006 and 2010. It did nothing to address the specific issues I raised about Bexhill. It was basically a stock letter and frankly quite insulting.

"If it's just a temporary problem which is being addressed that would be understandable.

"But now we are faced with the worrying possibility that come 2010 when the big switch-over takes place parts of Bexhill may not be able to receive any TV channels."

Mr Barker is interested in finding out just how many homes in Bexhill are affected by the problem.

Residents can write to the MP at the House of Commons, phone the constituency office in Amherst Road on 219117.

or contact him through the website www.gregorybarker.com

And, of course, let the Observer know your (digital) views.

Pictured: MP Greg Barker with a group pf Sutton Place residents. H05511b. Inset: Derrick Smith with Mr Barker ... complete with blank TV screen.