A COUNCILLOR has blasted O2 for leaving residents with “unacceptable” mobile phone coverage.

Independent councillor for North Portslade Peter Atkinson said that people living in Mile Oak were left with “dreadful service”.

He claims people received confusing texts and emails giving reasons for poor service and different timescales for it being fixed.

Cllr Atkinson said: “Residents in some cases have been left with no service at all.

“A lot of people now work part-time from home, post-pandemic, and need a fully functioning mobile network.

“There are also people who run businesses from their home address and for whom internet access is crucial.

“Also, many residents have discarded their landline phones and now rely totally on the mobile network, which is impossible to use at times for some people.

“This is completely unacceptable - Mile Oak residents deserve better.”

Cllr Atkinson also said a large number of residents have contacted him over the matter, with some also taking to social media to vent their frustration.

In an email seen by The Argus, mobile network provider O2 said that a fire at a serving site caused significant damage and impacted coverage in the area.

The company said that they are waiting for a third-party supplier to install and configure new transmission links.

A spokeswoman for O2 said: "We're aware of an issue with a mast in the Mile Oak area of Brighton, which may be impacting some customers' service.

"We apologise to those affected and are working to restore full service as soon as possible."