We are sick of being in a mobile signal dead spot

PEOPLE living in Middleton have struggled for years with a problem that would baffle many modern day residents.

- BY GEORGE LYTHGOE

The area has become a signal dead spot.

Strolling through the market town, depending on your mobile phone network, you might see the little bars in the top left corner of your device looking minimal.

Not having mobile signal is something you could expect in the remote corners of the Outer Hebrides, but in a town six miles from one of the largest cities in the UK, it seems bizarre.

The reason for the recent problems is due to vandalism at a mast on the top of the Warwick Mill in the centre of Middleton, according to local MP Elsie Blundell.

After complaints from constituents, the Heywood and Middleton North MP investigated the issue and found out the damaged mast provided crucial coverage to the area.

She has since been working with telecoms company Cornerstone and Rochdale Borough Council to replace the mast - or find another solution.

For locals basking in Middle Garden's Spring sunshine, this is an all too familiar issue. They just want the inconvenience to be over.

Ashley Wakefield lives in the town centre area, he says it’s been a problem for around three years.

“It can be a struggle to get 4G and ring people,” he told the Manchester Evening News. “I'm a foster carer, so it's a real problem for me.

“There have been times I've had to go into the shopping centre to use the Wi-Fi to get my bus pass to work. It’s super inconvenient.

“It has been a big thing for a while and it’s spoken about a lot as an issue.”

He explained that even at his house the signal can be weak. Ashley even had a friend who changed his phone contract just because of the poor network connection.

Just a few benches down, young couple Jack and Nicole take a break from their lunch to weigh in. Both agreed the problem had been present for around three years.