'It's finally fixed': thousands of Lancaster residents get mobile phone coverage back after a whole year

The telecommunication company's mast affixed to the chimney of the former A1 Supa Skips site on the Lune Industrial Estate had been inactive since May 2023 due to vandalism and theft of copper wiring.

The masts are used by a number of mobile service providers which means thousands of people have been affected by the loss of service.

Attempts to restore the signal were further hampered by the fire at the site last December, for which Lancaster City Council was awarded £760,000 in exceptional Government funds after months of negotiations.

The Labour MP has been calling on the company to fix the masts since last June, suggesting alternative temporary sites, as well as securing thousands of pounds in compensation for affected customers.

Welcoming the return of mobile signal in the area, Cat Smith said: “This will hopefully come as much-needed relief for residents and businesses across the Marsh and St George's Quay area who have been struggling for the past year.”

The MP added "This is vital communication infrastructure which these private companies operate, and it's frustrating when they are slow to act.

"Local businesses rely on good connectivity to operate, process payments, payroll and serve the community, and consumers need stay in touch with friends and family whilst getting on

with the basics like booking health appointments, banking, accessing Universal Credit journals, and keeping on top of all of the essential life admin."

In a statement, a representative for Virgin Media O2 said: “Initially this mast, that is operated by Vodafone, who are our infrastructure partner, had to be put 'off air' due to vandalism and stolen copper cable.

"Subsequently, the fire that then occurred in December significantly disrupted restoration plans and further health and safety measures impacted our ability to access the site and assess the damages from the fire.

“The mast at the Lune Industrial Estate has now had its services restored on May 9 2024 at 3:31pm.

"Our network team will continue to closely monitor the signal strength in Marsh to ensure the newly restored site continues to work as it should.”