A BUSINESSMAN has spoken of his frustration after BT took almost seven weeks to fix his faulty phone line.Philip Clarke, from Tunstall, near Woodbridge, who is an agricultural spraying contractor, was left high and dry after his phone line went dead.

A BUSINESSMAN has spoken of his frustration after BT took almost seven weeks to fix his faulty phone line.

Philip Clarke, from Tunstall, near Woodbridge, who is an agricultural spraying contractor, was left high and dry after his phone line went dead.

Mr Clarke, 42, said: "I reported it to them on the day and it took them seven weeks to correct the fault. Both my wife and I use phones for our businesses and it just dragged on and on."

He said he was frustrated at the time BT took to repair the fault and wanted to highlight how rural communities may be missing out when it comes to priority for repairs.

Mr Clarke was prompted to speak out after seeing 200 homes were hit in Felixstowe this month after a suspected vandal attack. All the affected homes had service restored within four days.

He added: "I was told that all faults are treated with the same urgency but I cannot help feeling that a fault affecting 200 homes would get priority over one affecting just two homes."

Mr Clarke who operates as Clarke's Contracting, has one BT line into his home and uses it for a telephone, fax and the internet.

He has been offered the standard single line £1,100 compensation for the fault in December 2000 but feels it is not enough.

But after trying to persuade BT to offer him more he admits he is unlikely to get anymore.

Mr Clarke said: "The compensation offered was laughable but it was all that was available if you read the small print.

"I was constantly told the situation was in hand and being resolved, whilst trying to run two businesses without a telephone, fax or internet, as well as communicating with family and friends and shop on the internet at Christmas time."

A BT spokesman said Mr Clarke received £1,075 compensation for the 47 days his phone did not work, after agreement between the telecom giant and his solicitor.

The spokesman added: "It is much longer than you would expect to get someone back on line ands that is why we offered the compensation.

"It is regrettable that this one took us longer, there were complicating issues."

The fault was caused by a tree falling on an overhead cable, and it was several weeks before the country road could be closed off to repair the fault.

He said if Mr Clarke wished to press for further compensation he must provide proof of lost earnings.