Skipton residents claim their television viewing has been interrupted by nearby building work.

Residents from Regent Road and Overdale Court have complained that there have been white lines running across the screen preventing them from seeing a clear picture.

Many of the residents say the cause of the problem is the £9m extension work being done at the Skipton Building Society, on The Bailey.

Tom Slack, of Overdale Court, said: "We have noticed it (the interference) usually on an evening. The noise is quite loud and it sounds like the television might blow up."

William Fisher, of Regent Road, said the reception on his television had been terribly bad because of the building work. "We had never had it until that monstrosity went up," he said.

Mr Fisher said Skipton Building Society had given him a new aerial and since then the picture had been better.

Another man on the same street, who did not want to be named, said he knew that several residents had been inconvenienced by the poor reception and many had taken advantage of the building society's offer of a new aerial.

Another woman on Overdale Court said: "Some days the picture is quite good and some days it gets worse."

Mark Smitheringale, head of corporate affairs at Skipton Building Society, said: "As far as we are aware we have had five complaints from people who have had their reception interrupted."

He added that the problem stemmed from the direction of the aerial, but those that had a genuine problem had received a new aerial at the company's expense.

Mr Smitheringale said that anyone with a genuine television picture problem should contact him and they would try to do something to help.

"The last thing we would ever want is to cause any disagreement between us and the residents," he added.

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