Television viewers have blamed a multi-million pound extension under construction at Skipton Building Society's headquarters for interference on their sets.

People living in Regent Road and Overdale Court in Skipton have complained that their television viewing is being distorted by white lines running across the screen.

And many of them say the lines are caused by work, due to end next March, which is being carried at the building society on the nearby Bailey.

The new building, with the potential to house 600 people, will be used as overspill from the present headquarters and eventually will house new staff. The Skipton currently employs 890 people in the town, 420 at The Bailey.

Tom Slack, of Overdale Court, said he normally had problems with his TV set during the evening. "The noise is quite loud and it sounds like the television might blow up," he said. "It has started within the past couple of months, which coincides with the work being done.''

William Fisher, of Regent Road, said the reception on his television had been bad because of the building work opposite his house.

"We had never had it before, until that monstrosity came up," he said.

Mr Fisher said Skipton Building Society had given him a new aerial and since then the picture had been better.

Another resident on the same street, who did not want to be named, said he knew that several people on the street had problems with poor reception and many had taken advantage of the building society's offer of a new aerial.

Mark Smitheringale, head of corporate affairs at Skipton Building Society, said: "As far as we are aware we have had five complaints from people who have had their reception interrupted."

He said the problem stemmed from the direction of the aerial, but those that had a genuine problem had received a new aerial paid for by the company.

Mr Smitheringale said that anyone with a genuine television picture problem could contact him and he would try to help.

"The last thing we would ever want is to cause any disagreement between us and the residents," he added.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.