Sheffield dementia carer, 84, left 'cut off' during coronavirus lockdown as internet provider fails to address broken connection

An 84-year-old Sheffield carer and his 87-year-old wife, who has advanced dementia, have been left ‘cut off’ during their coronavirus isolation after their internet cut out and their provider could not be contacted to fix the problem.
By Lloyd Bent
Published 6th Apr 2020, 18:44 BST
Updated 9th Apr 2020, 17:11 BST
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Peter Wolstenholme, of Woodhouse, noticed his internet connection was not working last Monday (March 30) and has been trying to get in touch with TalkTalk ever since in order to get it fixed.

In spite of him trying every day to get the problem solved, Mr Wolstenholme has been unable to reach the internet provider, repeatedly being told by recorded messages that their customer service team was unavailable due to the coronavirus lock down.

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Mr Woodhouse is a keen amateur photographer who uses the internet to communicate with fellow enthusiasts and those for whom he has taken pictures.

Madge Wolstenholme and Peter Wolstenholme, demonstrating how they have to remain two metres apart at all times during their social isolation.Madge Wolstenholme and Peter Wolstenholme, demonstrating how they have to remain two metres apart at all times during their social isolation.
Madge Wolstenholme and Peter Wolstenholme, demonstrating how they have to remain two metres apart at all times during their social isolation.

Luckily he has a large family, including four children and six grandchildren, who have, along with neighbours, helped with shopping.

However, as he and his wife are classed as vulnerable people, they must self-isolate for two weeks. They need the internet to stay connected with others.

“We’ve been completely cut off,” Mr Wolstenholme said. “There is all this talk about people coming together during coronavirus, but one of the most important things for people in isolation is communication, and we don’t have that at the moment.

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“I think it is disgusting. TalkTalk happily take my money but whenever we try and get help we can’t even talk to a person. We just get recorded messages.”

Mr Wolstenholme has been taking photographs for more than 30 years, and his work includes Mi Amigo, for the Royal British Legion and the Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust.

“It is important to keep busy,” he said. “All my work is done using the internet and I want to use this time to get on with it.”

A spokesperson for TalkTalk said: “We’re sorry to hear about Mr Wolstenholme’s recent experience. Due to the Covid-19 outbreak, we currently have a reduced team available to help at our contact centres so it may take longer than normal for our teams to respond.

“We’re in touch with the customer and we hope to resolve the issue as soon as possible.”

Related topics:SheffieldTalkTalkCovid-19Royal British Legion