Telecoms engineers have managed to get services back online after a major outage hit thousands of homes and businesses.

BT Openreach was investigating after a number of its fibre cables were damaged – impacting 6,000 residents and firms in Swanscombe and the surrounding areas.

Several engineering teams were dispatched to the site to assess the damage, with vans pictured near the entrance to the A226 Galley Hill which has been shut since a landslip last year.

At the time, the telecoms company said it was a complex job which was going to take “a few days to get sorted out”.

Customers first reported problems with their service providers around midday Saturday (August 31) with those on 02, EE, Virgin, Talk Talk, Plusnet and Sky among those impacted.

One resident told KentOnline: “We have had no broadband since just after midday yesterday. Everyone is out other than one tiny provider.

“Also impacting O2 mobiles (I can't even get a speed test result on my workphone) and a very slow connection on EE.”

A Sky customer added: “We called our provider yesterday and after 40 minutes on the phone and multiple checks that they did, they said it must be our modem.

“Because everything is 'working' on their side. And they will get an engineer out to us on Tuesday.

“But everyone who lives here clearly knows that the problem is on their side. I don't think Sky has enough information at this point.”

However, BT Openreach has since confirmed that the works were completed at around 9.30pm yesterday (September 1) and all customers should be “back in service”.

It is understood the damage to the cables was accidental and related to ongoing network restoration work following last year’s landslide incident.

The tech outage also hit several businesses, with some reportedly unable to take online and card payments.

Vulnerable residents were impacted, including those who rely on the internet to power devices related to their health.

Damien Errington, who lives in Milton Street, Swanscombe, has Long QT Syndrome – an inherited heart problem that affects how his heart beats.

As a result he has a monitoring device fitted in his chest which runs via an app which monitors him throughout the day and night.

“At home I rely on my broadband so it is a stable connection for the ILR [implantable loop recorder] in my chest as my actual phone signal is not brilliant which can be a pain when I'm out and about,” he said.

“It’s fine but without internet connection at home my monitor is unable to record throughout the night to alert the hospital of any potential issue to prevent a life threatening arrhythmia.”