A village's phone signal problems have been caused by a mast that has an antenna hanging off, it has been revealed.

Phone providers have warned that the 4G mast in Shoreham Lane in St Michaels, near Tenterden, may not be fixed for three months.

Vodafone and O2 customers in the village have been left fuming after being told the "poor and spotty" signal in the area could last until at least late April.

One Vodafone customer told KentOnline the issues were also being felt in Tenterden town centre.

"The service in the town is flaky, text messages are taking 15 minutes to arrive and calls are failing or getting cut off," she added.

"There doesn't seem to be any 4G, just fleeting 3G."

A picture of the mast shows one of the three antennae at the top of the mast bent and hanging off the structure.

An O2 spokesperson revealed that the extent of the damage to the structure meant that it was impossible to guarantee a fix before the given deadline.

"We’re aware that some residents in the Tenterden area may be experiencing intermittent coverage issues and we apologise for the inconvenience this is causing," he added.

"A mast in the area has been damaged and we are working to fix it as soon as possible. In the meantime, we have upgraded other masts nearby to help boost coverage for our customers.”

A number of residents and businesses began reporting problems with signals with both services in the area on Thursday, while others claim to have been suffering intermittent signal for days.

One resident tweeted Vodafone: "We have had no signal in the TN30 area for more than 12 hours now. Any idea of how long we can expect it to be down for?"

Another responded: "12 hours? I've had none since Saturday!"

One Smallhythe Road resident said: "The signal down here is diabolical, I'm with 02, my wife is on Tesco mobile and it's bang on but I miss calls and messages."

Vodafone have also been approached for comment.