Neighbour cut our telephone line.

[DaveyStott]

Having previously given OpenReach permission to attach our telephone line to their house, our neighbour has cut our telephone line and refuses to allow OpenReach on their property to repair it. I have two questions:

1) Does OpenReach ultimately have the right, under UK law, to fix their infrastructure?
2) Has my neighbour committed an offence in relation to me?

Thanks in advance for any info. :-)

[jaguarsuk]

Having previously given OpenReach permission to attach our telephone line to their house, our neighbour has cut our telephone line and refuses to allow OpenReach on their property to repair it. I have two questions:

1) Does OpenReach ultimately have the right, under UK law, to fix their infrastructure?
2) Has my neighbour committed an offence in relation to me?

Thanks in advance for any info. :-)

1) No or else they would have done it.

2) No, but they have committed criminal damage to open reaches property if you can prove they did it, which of course they'll deny.

[DaveyStott]

Thanks Jaguarsuk.

The OpenReach engineers explained that they did not believe they had the right to fix their own infrastructure unless given permission by the property owner. I thought that there was an element of UK law that ultimately meant that OpenReach did not absolutely need such permission, especially if the property owner had given OpenReach permission in the first instance to install it on their property and it was the property owner that damaged the infrastructure (2 years later).

My neighbours openly admitted to OpenReach that they had cut the cable.

[jaguarsuk]

You thought wrong, permission can be given and withdrawn when ever they feel like to access their property regardless of any installation. It’s only gas and electricity companies who have rights of entry to property via a warrant.

If they admitted it then it’s up to open reach as to whether they want to report the criminal damage.

[jaguarsuk]

Why does the wire have to attach their property to reach yours?

And is virgin media an option given they dig along the public highway and then directly on to your property an option?

[DaveyStott]

Thanks Again Jaguarsuk. I don't mind being wrong and I appreciate the explanation.

[jaguarsuk]

No problem, hopefully you can find an alternative.