Fire cuts off 130,000 phone lines - from BBC.

Emergency services have been affected, and police say it is a major incident.

Fire crews had to climb down 30 metres and then crawl 150 metres to get to the fire.

BT says it does not yet know how the fire started in the early hours of Monday or how long the problems will take to fix.

Telephone lines have also been affected outside Manchester, with problems with Cheshire's 999 service.

Phone lines are also down in Merseyside, Lancashire and north Derbyshire.

Greater Manchester Ambulance Service said it had been put under "extreme pressure" after the blaze damaged its radio network.


A horrible thought, but how hard would it be for terrorist to plant a few strategic bombs in telephone exchanges around London (insert city of choice) and have a Madrid style attack? Or, blow up Grangemouth. Remember the petrol shortages during the strike. I've said it before, you don't have to have a 9/11.