A couple who moved into a newly-built Steeton house six months ago say they still have no landline phone or internet, despite repeated attempts to get connected.

David and Diane Hall said that although they have been in touch with BT on at least 20 occasions, they remain without a service.

Mr Hall, 60, said: “Promises have been made, but the estimated date for when we’ll be connected has kept being put back,” he added.

“The latest estimate is April 3, but we’ve no guarantee that the work will be done on that day.

“At first we were told the delay was because a duct under the road had collapsed.

“Then it was because they were waiting for the council to give permission for traffic management.

“On March 19 we were told it was because we were living such a long way from the exchange – though it’s only a 20 minute walk away.”

A BT spokesman said: “We are very sorry for the time taken to provide service to Mr and Mrs Hall.

“Civil engineering work has encountered several major problems which are now resolved.

“We will have the service up and running as quickly as possible, and a case handler will ensure the customer is kept informed throughout.”

Mr Hall, a retired gas service emergency response worker, moved into the house in Meadow Grove with his wife on September 27 last year.

The BT spokesman noted that the firm’s attempts to set up a connection to the Halls’ home had faced a number of problems, including an access duct which was damaged and blocked with concrete. She said when the engineers tried to use a different route they were blocked by a high voltage cable.