Specialist ship needed for Orkney broadband cable repairs

A specialist ship will be needed for repairs to a damaged subsea cable that has left some Orkney islands without internet access.

The issue is with the cable running between Evie and Westray.

It has left hundreds of people - in areas such as Sanday and Stronsay - without internet access for several days so far.

BT Group, which owns the subsea cable, is working with cable ship providers to try and get a vessel to the area for repairs as soon as possible.

The fibre network is down for about 500 customers in the north isles.

The exact cause of the issue is yet to be confirmed.

BT is in discussions with the Orkney Local Emergency Coordination Group (OLECG), a multi-agency group that coordinates the local response to significant incidents affecting Orkney's communities.

Repair timescales will be dependent on when a suitable vessel becomes available, and weather conditions.