4,200 lose phones and internet

AN estimated 4,200 Eircom customers were left without telephone and broadband services due to severe weather conditions.

Following fresh snowfalls and freezing temperatures overnight, over 1,100 faults were reported to eircom yesterday.

Eastern counties are the worst affected with Dublin, Wicklow, Wexford, Carlow, and parts of Kildare and Meath among the worst hit.

Since Monday, more than 5,000 faults have been tackled by up to 600 Eircom repair crews.

However road conditions remained very poor yesterday, with many rural and upland locations inaccessible for technicians.

With forecasts predicting snow and icy conditions to continue through the middle of next week, Eircom is asking customers to be patient as technicians work to repair all faults.