Underground copper thieves bring ‘Silicon Valley’ to halt

Parts of the East End technology centre dubbed Britain's Silicon Valley were brought to a standstill by vandals who went underground to damage phone lines.

Up to 3,200 businesses and homes around Old Street and Shoreditch are thought to have been affected when three main cables were damaged on Monday.

More than 200 phone lines have since gone down and BT says they will not all be restored until this evening at the earliest.

The culprits may have lifted a manhole cover in the area and gone underground as part of an attempted copper theft or even deliberate sabotage.

Dan Moscrop, managing director of graphic design business Them, said: "This normally vibrant area has come to a bit of a standstill over the last couple of days with many small businesses losing a lot of money."

The area around Old Street roundabout has some of London's most prominent internet and media firms.