A FAMILY is furious with British Telecom after their business was forced shut for the first time in 87 years when the phone line went down.

Bellinger's Service Station in Station Road, Grove, lost an estimated £30,000 over the Easter weekend because bank and credit cards could not be swiped.

It was the first time the business had been forced to close since it was established in 1921, keeping going even through the petrol rationing of the Second World War.

BT apologised - and offered the company £5.60, the equivalent of two days' line rental, in compensation.

Manager Mike Bellinger was forced to shut on two of the busiest days of the year over Easter.

He said: "What Hitler could not make them do all through the war, BT has managed in less than a week.

"I feel incredibly frustrated. Everyone was very polite on the phone, but no one could do anything. It's just faceless unaccountability.

"Our whole business is dependent on them and there is nothing I can do.

"BT asked us to update our business line to a faster line.

"This was ordered in December and double-checked in February to be installed on Tuesday, March 18, with a maximum of one hour disruption.

"A week later we still had no line.

"Without the telephone we could not send any credit card information to Texaco and all the memory in the electronic till was full."

A spokesman for BT apologised and said the line had been restored on Tuesday, March 25.

She added: "There was a break in his service which was much longer than it should have been and this was exacerbated by the Easter Bank Holiday."