Dear LPG,

The term ‘computer mouse’ takes on a whole new meaning for me after this experience.

Not so long ago I was left without broadband.  Me, and hundreds of other Internet users found ourselves without the internet.  At 9.25pm on Thursday 10th August there were reports of outages in Dulwich, Tulse Hill, Balham, Brixton, Nine Elms, Streatham, Vauxhall, South Clapham, Forest Hill, Battersea and Camberwell.

I was texted and assured that the service would shortly resume.  However, it took over two days for that to happen.  So I was not able to use my Internet.   It didn't help that I had deadlines to meet and I was both frustrated and nervous.  What to do?  Promises were made and I waited, and each time the situation changed with further delays.

We later heard from the provider that our loss of service had been due to extensive damage caused by rodents chewing through cables.  Yes. Rodents!  I suspect they mean rats and mice.  I'm not an expert in electronics, but would it not have been wiser to use cables that have more protection and can't be chewed at.  A Sky spokesperson said: ‘We don't own the line affected but engineers from the supplier who were at the scene by 11pm’ (after the first outage when they did a temporary repair and were continuing to address the damage.)

So, my internet is now back and we consumers are asking for reassurances about what plans are being made as the rodents have now developed a taste for the cable and move on to the next road or borough.  

My story highlights two points. 

Is it not frightening that the Internet now is as vital as electricity or a gas supply for a whole cross-section of our community, and it is even more alarming that real mice are able to have an equally devastating effect on our virtual lives as the electronic mice that we have become used to on our desktops.  (►►►)

GB, Camberwell