FRUSTRATED residents claim workmen installing broadband cables in York are taking too long and have left the pavement in a dangerous condition.

CityFibre engineers are currently installing internet wires underneath various streets in the Clifton Moor Estate but neighbours say they are disappointed with how long it has taken them to complete the work after first arriving in the area eight weeks ago.

Steve Oxbrow, 77, of Lindley Avenue, contacted The Press after he witnessed a child crash into an unmarked plastic manhole covering one of the trenches as she rode along the pavement on her scooter.

The dad-of-two said the fibre optic broadband engineers have moved from street to street and left work unfinished in the process.

He said: “They dig holes then leave them for weeks on end.

“When I saw them I confronted them and told them it was about time they showed their faces.

“Concrete doesn’t take that long to set and the street looks untidy, dirty and they haven’t even washed the path down.

“The whole estate is one big mess and I’ve been in touch with the council to see if there is anything they can do to move them on because we’ve had enough of it.”

Once the work is finished the estate will be served with an ultra-fast broadband connection, however, Mr Oxbrow feels this will not make up for the disruption he has had to put up with on his street.

He added: “It’s not going to be worth the hassle of having broadband and I hope no-one else is having to go through what we’ve been through.”

A spokesman for CityFibre apologised for the delays.

He said: "There have been some delays to the construction in Clifton Moor area for which we would like to apologise.

“The delay was caused by the breakdown of an essential piece of machinery. Our contractors, McNicholas, are now working to complete the remaining work in the next few days.

“We take safety extremely seriously and will investigate any incident fully. We have had no report of an accident at one of our sites in the Clifton Moor Estate but would encourage anyone to speak to us if they have any concerns or an incident to report.”