BRITISH Telecom have admitted hundreds of people in Woodford Green have been left without phone and internet connections after thieves stole some of its cables last week.

More than 200 people in the area and a further 100 in nearby Highams Park have been affected, after crooks broke in to several roadside green cabinets in Redbridge and cut out a large amount of copper wiring.

A spokesman for BT said: "Engineers have been working as quickly as possible on both incidents to attempt to keep disruption to a minimum.

"We have replaced cables and we are in the process of reconnecting customers back into service.

"We will continue to work as quickly as is possible to get everyone back into service."

Some residents told the Guardian they were told by engineers that it could be as long as two weeks before everything is back to normal, although many households have already been reconnected.