A 94-year-old woman who lives alone is one of 21 people left without a telephone after underground cabling was damaged 13 days ago.

The Thorpe Bay pensioner, who relies on an emergency button connected to telephone lines for her personal safety, says not having a phone available is putting her life at risk.

The woman, who asked not to be named, said: "They phoned my carer today to apologise. But I'm nearly blind and I live on my own.

"I can't even call a doctor, and the emergency careline button around my neck has stopped working as well."

A spokesman for BT said the cables had been damaged by a company using a digger on July 23.

Published Tuesday, August 5, 2003

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