A PHONE line fault has kept BT customers on hold for an incredible four weeks.

Farms and remote homes in the Landside area of Leigh have been without normal service because of an underground fault.

Mary Bent of Carr Lane said: "We have had problems with the line for a long time but to be without a home phone for a month is ridiculous. Had we had the option of switching to cable we would have done."

Another customer said although BT had diverted landline calls to mobiles where possible, computer internet connections were unavailable.

"They were going to give us £78 compensation for loss of broadband but this has since been reduced to £25," he said.

A spokesman for BT said: "We need to replace 85 metres of underground ducting and cable, which we hope to do as quickly as possible.

"We apologise to customers for the delay. In the meantime we have diverted calls on the faulty lines to customers' mobiles or other land lines wherever possible.

"We are very sorry this fault is taking longer to fix than BT would want or normally expect, however it has proved a very complicated one to pinpoint."