A remote Scottish village was left disconnected after BT got its wires crossed.

Phone users in Bundalloch, near Dornie in Wester Ross, had no idea who would pick up the phone when they made a call and ended up talking to total strangers. Since the village has no mobile phone coverage, residents had to walk a mile to the nearest public phone box and phone their own number to find out who was receiving their calls.

The problem started last Friday following repair work by BT engineers. Some houses were connected within hours but many did not have their proper service restored until Monday night. A spokesman for BT apologised for the "small number" of crossed lines following work to replace a faulty aerial cable.