ENGINEERS battled overnight to restore internet access to homes in the East End. 

Broadband access to thousands in Dennistoun and around the Gallowgate was down from around 11pm on Sunday. 

It is expected that most homes in the area will be reconnected tonight but some homes may still be affected until Thursday night. 

Openreach workers were working by lamplight last night to fix the network, which was damaged after a cable exploded underground. 

A spokeswoman for the firm - which was separated from BT in 2018 and provides broadband access to a number of networks - said that access had been restored to some homes but it was not possible to say where the households were. 

She added: "Openreach is continuing major repairs in Bridgeton, Glasgow today after an underground power cable exploded, blasting nearby digital services for thousands of local homes and businesses.

"Engineers expect to have most fibre-based broadband restored by tonight, with some people already back in service. Routers may need a reboot and service providers will be able to help with any ongoing issues.

"Repairs to the copper network are more complicated, with each line needing to be reconnected individually. It’s expected this work, affecting a minority of lost services and including some phone lines, won’t be fully finished until late on Thursday."

We told yesterday how local businesses, including the Duke Street Post Office, shut up shop due to a lack of broadband access. Some retailers were only accepting cash. 

Openreach patch manager Andy Baillie said: “This was like a hand grenade going off underground, and the damage to one of our main East End cable routes is extensive.

“We’ll be working round the clock to get everyone back online as fast as we can, but these repairs are complex and it’s going to take time.

“We’re sorry for the disruption and thank residents for their patience and understanding while we work on the fix.”