A FAULT with a telephone line which lies beneath one of the busiest mini-roundabouts in a South East Cornwall town centre, is causing havoc at a doctors' surgery.

The 8,800 patients of Rosedean Surgery in Dean Street, Liskeard, have been having difficulties in contacting their doctors as 50 per cent of the telephone lines have been out of service since December 17.

The surgery's managing partner, David Sheppard, said: 'There are heavier pressures on the practice in the winter, when we would experience more calls than in the summertime.

'We have had complaints from patients that it is taking them longer to get through to us and they are hearing the engaged tone a lot.'

Engineers from BT Openreach, after making three visits, were able to identify on December 30 that the fault lies beneath the middle of the roundabout sited on the busy junction of Dean Street, Barras Street and Windsor Place.

Due to the location of the fault, a three-way temporary traffic lights system will be needed to ensure that the telecom engineers can work safely.

A survey of the road to determine the traffic light requirements was due to have taken place on Wednesday, after which an application will now have to be made to Cornwall Council for permission for their installation.

Mr Sheppard said that, unfortunately, the problem was out of their control and they were now awaiting an estimated date of completion of the repair from BT.

'We are extremely sorry for the inconvenience that our patients are encountering and ask that they persevere in their attempts to contact us by phone,' he said.