People who work from home in a village near Royston said having no phone signal due to a broken mast has meant they lost business.

Frustrated business owners in Shaftenhoe End said the EE phone mast in the village has been broken on and off since September, costing companies thousands of pounds.

The latest problems have been going on for almost a month, and business owners have spoken out about their anger to The Crow.

Paula Santomauro runs health and safety consultancy Your Company Works from her home. She said: “I can’t make or receive any calls on my mobile. I have to keep saying to my clients, I’ll call you back.

“Then they have my house number which is unprofessional. The problem just goes on and on and on. For me it’s not about money, it’s about my clients losing faith. They pay for one to one service, it’s more about the faith.”

Sarah Wallace is a resourcer for her brother’s recruitment company Dynamic New Alliances. Business is run from both his home in Shaftenhoe End and London, and she said the company is losing money due to network problems as people cannot get in touch.

She said: “Because of the nature of the business, people have to call out of hours. We are very frustrated. We are not the only business that is running from the area. Businesses have lost thousands of pounds because of this. EE seem to be having issues accessing the mast, it has gone on for too long.”

An EE spokeswoman said: “We are aware some customers are experiencing problems making calls in Shaftenhoe End, and are investigating as a matter of urgency. We apologise to anyone who may be affected for the inconvenience caused, and are working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.”