A SON whose elderly and disabled parents were cut off by Virgin Media and left without a phone for six days has thanked The Telegraph & Argus for stepping in, praising this newspaper’s "caring attitude to defending those who may not be able to defend themselves."

Adrian contacted The Telegraph and Argus “in desperation” after his parents, who live in Eccleshill, had their services disconnected when they asked Virgin for help to access Sky Sports.

Adrian’s mum has had a stroke, which makes it difficult for her to use a mobile phone, and his dad has Alzheimer’s – so Adrian was worried what would happen to his parents if they needed to contact anyone in an emergency.

The worried son estimates he spent seven or eight hours trying to get a resolution from Virgin, without success – but when the T&A contacted Virgin Media, workmen quickly installed an emergency landline, with internet restored the following day.

Adrian, who praised the T&A’s “excellent journalism”, wrote: “I am very grateful that both you and the T&A took the time to investigate what was probably a very unexciting story from my first very desperate email.

“As a Bradfordian - albeit defected to the other side (Manchester) - it is heartening to see that you have a caring attitude to defending those who may not be able to defend themselves and strive to see that justice and fairness is done against what I see are faceless corporates whose only interest is profit whilst trying to falsely claim customer first values.

“Well done.”

Virgin Media explained that the delay in restoring services to Adrian’s parents was due to “a blockage”.

After the T&A stepped in, Liam Greenfield, a Virgin Media executive, phoned Adrian to apologise. 

Virgin Media have promised to write a letter of apology to Adrian’s parents with a compensation offer of three months’ free services, said Adrian.