A MALVERN businessman who has been without his phone line for nearly a month has criticised BT for not fixing the problem.

Kevin Austin, of Como Road, runs a bed and breakfast and has had no phone or internet link with which to take bookings since the storm on the night of Saturday, October 26.

Mr Austin said that numerous calls to BT had produced little, only projected repair dates which had been repeatedly put back.

On Wednesday (November 20), he passed the exchange on Albert Road South and saw a large number of BT vans but no workers.

"There were more than 20 vans sitting outside it," he said.

"I thought given the situation and what BT have told me, that they're doing all they can. It should be all hands to the pumps.

"It's so difficult trying to find anybody to talk to and I don't know what to do."

BT spokesman Emma Tennant said Mr Austin's line had been lost when a falling tree severed an overhead cable and a new pole was needed to restore service.

"There are a few residual faults that we are still clearing up after the storm," she said. "We're trying to sort people out as quickly as possible. It's the sheer volume that we've had to deal with and the labour intensive work that's been involved."

She said the vans had been parked outside the exchange because a team briefing meeting was taking place.

"They had thought about cancelling it because of work going on but felt it more productive to meet," she said.