AN UNDERGROUND blaze brought communications nightmares to 17,000 Leigh homes.

And it could be next week before normal BT phone lines services resume.

Six days after the fire - in an under-pavement tunnel in Chapel Street - BT customers in a large part of Leigh were still unplugged.

BT has had a dozen engineers working round the clock since last Thursday trying to reconnect customers after melted cables paralysed business and private lines.

As a temporary measure they re-routed incoming calls to mobile phones or other landlines. And by Tuesday some lines were back in service - but not without snags.

Users complained bitterly of wrong numbers and the landline upheaval created havoc with telephone, fax and computer communications without dedicated links. Lottery ticket terminals were hit on Saturday with 13 sources inoperational and extra police patrols placed on duty to help people in emergencies.

A BT spokesperson said on Tuesday: "We have taken care of vulnerable people, loaning them cellphones, and we have a lot of businesses back on line. One third of the network has been reconnected.

"It will probably take the rest of the week to resolve all the problems."

She said the cause of the blaze is still being investigated by Fire Service and BT engineers.

"We have a customer service guarantee scheme," she added. "People can contact us to ask for compensation."

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