Essex University has been blacked out by a fault on the telephone system at of its busiest times of the year.

New and old students were unable to get through to the campus and engineers were working throughout last night and again this morning to try to repair the fault on the network.

By today, e-mails and faxes were on line but only internal and external calls by phone could be made.

A university spokesperson said the fault affected the whole of the campus.

The new term starts on October 7 with freshers arriving the weekend before.

The spokesperson said: "Obviously the fault on the phone lines is causing some inconvenience but clearing has almost finished and most students, old and new, know by this stage their course and accommodation details.

"It is had happened a couple of weeks ago after A level results had been announced it would have been far far worse.

"The engineers have been working through the night and they are here again today.

"We do not know what caused the fault and we are hopeful that the system will be working again at some time today."

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