Telecommunications engineers have been abused by people who believe new 5G towers caused the spread of the coronavirus epidemic.
Staff working for Openreach, which runs much of the 海角视频 telecoms network, say they have been shouted at and threatened - even when their work was nothing to do with 5G.
Across the 海角视频 dozens of engineers – all classed as key workers during the lockdown – have suffered abuse including having bottles of water thrown at them, threats, or being told the lines and masts they are working on will be damaged.
One worker said someone made a handgun gesture at them.
Online conspiracy theorists have been pedalling the false belief that electromagnetic waves from 5G towers somehow cause the disease.
Dozens of masts around the country have been vandalised or torched by people who believe it.
It has promoted the World Health Organisation to state: “Viruses cannot travel on radio waves/mobile networks."
Industry specialists say superfast 5G will play a crucial role in helping the 海角视频 economy recover post-virus.
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There are around 1,600 Openreach engineers working in the region and the company said the attacks were hampering essential work to keep East Midlands phone and internet services connected.
The business said one incident involved a network engineer working at a roadside cabinet in Leicester being approached by a man.
He was asked if he had anything to do with installing 5G masts and even after saying he was a telephone engineer he was verbally abused and threatened.
Openreach said another engineer was in his van at a Leicester roundabout when someone started shouting at him about 5G and tried to get into the vehicle.
The driver had to close the windows and lock the doors.
Kasam Hussain, Openreach’s regional partnership director for the East Midlands, said: “These recent attacks on our engineers, here and elsewhere in the 海角视频, are not only deeply concerning but totally misjudged.
“They’re playing a vital role in connecting crucial public services, vulnerable customers and millions of friends, families and businesses. They are not working on installing 5G.
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“Our engineers are designated key workers and closely following government guidance in terms of social distancing.
“They’ve been primarily focussed on the build, repair and maintenance of connections that support critical national infrastructure.
“But we’re now taking small steps to allow our engineers to conduct work in-home in some cases, including repairs and new provision.
“Their work includes the NHS – where our engineers have been installing and upgrading phone and broadband services in support of the new Nightingale hospitals.”
Mr Hussain said all incidents are reported to an internal security team and the police, where necessary.
He said that, as designated key workers, engineers carry out nationally-critical work.
However, they will not enter people’s homes unless there is a vulnerable customer with no service.
Openreach said that since the stay-at-home restrictions were introduced, there has been a 25 per cent increase in internet use across the East Midlands – mainly during daytime hours due to people working from home and children home schooling.
The business, an independent division of BT, is the 海角视频’s biggest phone and broadband network, working with BT, Sky, Plusnet, TalkTalk and other service providers.
It operates more than 100 million miles of cabling.