A RESPITE may be in place by this evening (Friday, 9 April) for households and businesses in Grays whose telephone and internet services were disrupted by a crash earlier in the week.

In it, a vehicle overturned and demolished two BT boxes close to the junction of Hogg Lane with Orsett Road seriously disrupting local communication services.

Today engineers are on scene to begin repairs, though they have warned it could be some months before permanent reparation is completed.

It is hoped that BT's only mobile fibre cable box will arrive around 3pm and that if it can be connected, services could be restored by 7pm.

However, a permanent replacement could take many weeks, if not months, say engineers on site - who are recommending the facility be moved to a less vulnerable location.