ENGINEERS are due to arrive on site today to start work reconnecting Arrochar to mobile phone networks after residents and businesses went for weeks without a signal.

Vodafone UK said they were going to start working at the mast serving Arrochar on Friday in a bid to restore a signal as soon as possible.

Readers had been in touch pleading for answers since problems arose around February 5, with an outage covering an estimated four-mile radius.

Resident Dianne Johnstone, who is with Vodafone, said other networks including O2, GiffGaff and Tesco Mobile appeared to be affected.

She told the Advertiser she couldn't have phoned an ambulance for a medical situation this week because of the lack of service.

Dianne said: "I myself do not have a landline. My family live south, my mum in a home and I have no contact unless I travel a few miles to get a signal.

"People are now getting angry and frustrated at all the so-called lies we are being told. Not having a signal also impacts on out once a week post office it's beyond disgusting now."

She said she could get a signal if she drove to Tarbet, but that people were still being charged for phone service they couldn't get.

Ms Johnstone's son Christopher added: "A lot of people in the area rely on the mobile. And same goes for the elderly people who do not have access to a landline.

"EE seems to be the only network provider working in the area at the moment. And therefore I will be switching over to them.

"All the Vodafone advisor did was check the network service status, to inform me there was no signal. I am quite aware there's no signal. I can check it online myself.

"They are telling their customers all different completion dates, which is not good enough.

"We need the network back."

Vodafone insisted work would be underway on Friday.

A spokesperson for Vodafone told the Advertiser: "We’re sorry that a number of our customers in the area are experiencing problems with their service at the moment.

"This is due to a fault at a local site – recent storms and bad weather have stopped us being able to make the necessary repairs.

"We are planning to start work on the site later today, and signal will be restored as soon as possible.”