DINAS Cross residents have been left without telephone and internet services for more than two months, after lines were struck by lightning in February.

Local businesses, who have been without service since February 12, say they are struggling with the situation, as there is very little mobile phone coverage in the area.

Several properties have been left without service, and one resident is reported to have had to run to search for a mobile signal after a fire broke out in his kitchen.

Hannah Havard, who runs riding stables on Dinas mountain, says she is worried that she could lose customer bookings as the busy Easter holiday approaches.

Customers are currently advised to email her via her website or contact her through her Facebook page, which she checks several times a day by walking across the fields to find a mobile signal.

She said: “It is affecting a lot of people in the area. Farmers depend on their phone lines, and people want to talk to me before they bring their kids up here.

“If they are ringing and not getting through they will try somewhere else. I also have liveries here and their owners need to be able to get in touch.”

A BT spokesman the job was ‘unusually complex’, as a lightning strike caused severe damage to the local network and overhead cables were brought down.

“Due to electricity power lines being nearby, we could not simply replace the overhead lines. We had to build a new route underground and this required the permission of a local landowner. If all goes well, we hope to complete the work within about a week.”