Getting a phone connected after moving house should be the simplest of tasks.

But for one Sussex family it has become an epic struggle.

Jean Turner, her partner John and her son Clive moved from Ambleside Avenue in Telscombe Cliffs to Roundhouse Crescent on the edge of Peacehaven on November 5.

But every time they have asked their phone company, BT, to connect their new home, engineers are sent to their old house.

The blunder has happened four times in two months.

Mrs Turner, 52, told The Argus: "I made four appointments, and they all ended up at my old address.

"This is the new homes department. It's unbelievable."

The couple had hoped to be connected by Christmas after they explained the problem to officials.

An engineer paid her a visit and promised the line would be connected by December 18.

But once again, they attempted to connect her old house with the new number.

When it didn't work, the order was cancelled and Mrs Turner was left in limbo again.

Their house has a phone socket, a line and a telephone wired in, but it has not been made live.

Mrs Turner said: "I have got the connection into the house, but it hasn't been put on. Someone hasn't pressed the right button.

"I'm so stressed about it I don't know what to do next."

She said she has spent up to three hours at a time trying to get through to different departments at BT using her husband's mobile.

She received confirmation of her billing package by post at the new house - but when she speaks to call-centre staff they say they cannot find the address on their system.

Mrs Turner has health problems and spends all day at home.

She needs a phone in case of emergencies and to stay in contact with her 85-year-old father and 81-year-old mother-in-law.

Mobile phone coverage is poor in the area, making it difficult to stay in touch.

Without the phone line her satellite television package and internet will not work either.

Now Mrs Turner is asking for cash to make up for the inconvenience and distress the delay has caused.

After speaking to communications regulator Ofcom she has been promised the line will be connected by the end of this week.

But her experience has taught her not to count her chickens.

She said: "We'll have to see what happens."

A spokeswoman for BT said: "We apologise for the inconvenience and the experience she has had and are working to solve the problem as soon as possible."

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