Hundreds of homes have been without internet and phone services for days because of metal thieves.

Thieves tried to steal the phone cables, which contain valuable copper, from just outside Barlestone, near Market Bosworth, on Wednesday.

British Telecom is offering a £1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the cable thieves.

About 200 villagers, as well as the village doctor's surgery, shops and post office, were left without a connection to the internet or a working land line. Some people will not have their service reconnected until this afternoon.

Sharon Jackson, a receptionist at Barlestone GP surgery, said the phone service was off from Thursday until yesterday morning.

As a result, patients could not be seen unless they were able to travel to another surgery at Ibstock because the doctor and nurse had no internet access to their notes. The dispensary was also unable to take or produce any new medicines and only stayed open to give drugs which had been pre-ordered.

"We are up and running again now but obviously we have got a big catch-up to do," she said.

Village resident Cathie Mullins was without her service from Thursday morning to Sunday night.

She said: "I have two lines in my home, a personal line and a business line because I work from home. I couldn't work at home because I had no internet access, no e-mail and no telephone, so I had to go into an office in Coventry to work."

The cables were dug up along the A447 Ashby Road. BT contractors have been replacing cables for the past few days.

A BT spokesman said: "These faults are the result of attempted cable theft. It happened on a country lane just outside Barlestone and there are four cables that were cut.

"We are having to replace about 1,000 metres of cable and that is the reason people have been without service.

"We apologise for any inconvenience. We are doing all we can to get people back on as soon as possible."

By midday yesterday, BT said about 110 services had been restored.

Lead thieves have struck around Leicestershire, targeting iron drain covers, lead church roofing and copper cables. Copper is worth about £6,000 a tonne. Items such as iron drain covers and lead church roofing sheets are also being targeted.

BT has joined forces with Crimestoppers to offer a £1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anybody responsible.

Information can be reported by calling 0800 555 111.