YORK’S council boss has spoken of problems caused by a telecoms company digging up pavements in the city.

Conservative David Carr said council chiefs had called Virgin Media’s executives into the city for meetings, after a flood of complaints from people in Micklegate ward.

Cllr Carr, who was speaking in a video made with his party’s by-election candidate Paul Healey, said they had secured promises from the company.

“We have had the top people in from Virgin Media and explained to them we are not happy with the quality of the work they have been doing.

“We are not happy with the way they have communicated with residents beforehand, and we’re not happy with the way they have reinstated the works afterwards.”

As a result of the meetings, Cllr Carr said the company had promised new badging and contact numbers around sites where work is taking place, more site visits by Virgin Media management, the removal of personnel from some sites and apologies to residents.

The improvements should mean that if a resident calls the number posted around a work site, they will get a response.

On top of this, the council is employing inspection officer to keep an eye on works, he added.

Complaints first emerged about broadband installation work in Micklegate in January this year, and have since come in from other parts of the city.

Earlier this month Labour MP Rachael Maskell and her party’s by-election candidate Jonny Crawshaw took Virgin Media executives on a walkabout around the ward, to show them cracked and unsafe pavements left behind by the contractors.

The MP said she had received a lot of complaints, and was pleased to hear the Virgin bosses say they would formally ask residents for feedback. Other candidates already announced for the Micklegate ward by-election are the Green party’s Rosie Baker, and the Liberal Democrats’ Aileen Hingston.