Buried box means no Christmas television
22/12/2011 (SB) A few residents in Anson Close in Rowner, Gosport, have been left without television channels and phones after their lines were cut through on the new Rowner development. Pictured is: (l-r) Patricia Sprackling (40) and Natisha Mancell (41) next to the box which supplies their Virgin Media and has been buried half in and half out on the new Rowner development. Picture: Sarah Standing (114470-8500)
PEOPLE living next to a major housing development say they have had their television and phones cut off by workers.
Work is moving forward on the redevelopment of the Rowner housing estate in Gosport.
But people living in nearby Anson Close say workers buried an electrical box used to power their internet, televisions and phones.
Virgin Media said it was working with construction firm Taylor Wimpey to fix the problem but nothing can be done for Christmas.
Patricia Sprackling, 40, of Anson Close, said: ‘It has been a nightmare. We have been having problems for months.
‘I spoke to someone from Taylor Wimpey and they were really good at sorting things out for us. But now the problems have got worse.’
Patricia’s husband Harry is recovering from chemotherapy after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
‘Being able to relax with the TV and use the internet has been a lifeline for him while he is recovering,’ she added.
The couple have been without a working phone line for 11 months.
Harry, 45, said: ‘I’m a builder so I know how it works and I know these things happen.
‘But we were getting wires cut a couple of times a month and Virgin had to keep coming out to fix it.’
Neighbour Natisha Mancell, 44, fears she will be without television for Christmas.
‘You don’t realise how much you miss the TV until it’s gone,’ she said.
‘Virgin can’t do anything because the box with all the wires in has been buried.
‘Where they are raising the ground level they have left the box where it is so now it is half-buried in cement and nobody can get at it.’
A spokeswoman for Virgin Media said: ‘We were informed work carried out by Taylor Wimpey has caused damage to our cable network.
‘The damage is so severe a full reconnection is not going to be possible for Christmas.
‘We’re looking into providing complimentary mobile phones, freeview boxes and broadband to the customers for the Christmas period.
‘We’re extremely sorry for any inconvenience caused.’
Despite Virgin Media’s explanation of the situation, Taylor Wimpey denies the disruption has anything to do with construction work at the site.
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Comments
There are 12 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
Bridget Lawrence
Tuesday, December 27, 2011 at 01:22 PMIt’s disappointing this couldn’t haven’t have been sorted before Christmas. I love TV at this time of year.
matatrill
Saturday, December 24, 2011 at 11:15 AMWe moved into Leicester Court at the end of October. Virgin Media engineers came to connect us and found the box half buried. They said there was nothing they could do and asked us to phone customer services. We did and they told us to go elsewhere.
seejay32
Friday, December 23, 2011 at 05:02 PMJuggernaut @ 5: Your rude and uncalled for comment does you no justice at all. Several others: What people spend their time on at Christmas or anywhen else is their concern and no one else's. They've paid for a service that they aren't getting through no fault of their own. I hope Virgin sorts something out for them in time. Good job they weren't with Sky, though. There might have been a real problem if their dish had got buried
Gosport lad in exile
Friday, December 23, 2011 at 04:12 PMNo TV?! Does that mean they will have to actually talk to each other? God No! My heart goes out to them this Christmas.
The Gosport One
Friday, December 23, 2011 at 03:22 PMWe had our cables stolen Virgin took a week to connect 15 metres of cable. Dont hold your breath for freebies from Virgin, especially since its Taylor Wimpys fault. "Taylor Wimpey denies the disruption has anything to do with construction work at the site" so all the new building work in the photo including the half buried box wasn't done by Taylor Wimpy, its Christmas not April fools day !!!
victoryleader
Friday, December 23, 2011 at 11:50 AMshiny new houses tho, what else you want
Pride of the South RED and WHITE
Friday, December 23, 2011 at 10:26 AM@5.. Let me know how you get on with the Hat.. Salt and Pepper always helps.. But you know women... They always lie about their age!!!
Juggernaut
Friday, December 23, 2011 at 10:08 AMIf she's 41 I will eat my hat.
Richard B
Friday, December 23, 2011 at 09:08 AMThe temporary, or even permanent, solution is to get a tv aerial. A small table top one might do or a £8 outdoor one screwed to a outside door frame. It won't give you the phone but then a mobile should do for a while. Internet is then your only problem. Also make sure you get a refund from Virgin. Don't moan, do something!
Pride of the South RED and WHITE
Friday, December 23, 2011 at 09:04 AMGreat... Will someone please come and bury our box... No more Soaps!!! No more American Rubbish!!! The kids will go Ballistic but Hey Ho!!! Happy days... Now we just need a blitz on the STATALITES!!!
NickyJ
Friday, December 23, 2011 at 07:46 AMoh dear, will you miss Eastenders lol
NickyJ
Friday, December 23, 2011 at 07:45 AMoh dear.. will you miss Eastenders lol
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