FAULTY central heating could be causing television interference for Pleckgate people who are going up the wall trying to find what's turning their screens blank.

Experts say a problem thermostat could be causing BBC1 to turn to snow for a few seconds up to six times an hour.

Jean Forrest, of Openshaw Drive, Blackburn, and two of her neighbours first noticed the problem last week but put it down to the new digital channels being installed.

"It's very frustrating because you are just getting into something and it goes off," she said. "I thought there was something weird going on."

But the BBC told her it was nothing to do with their activities and experts at the government's radio communications department said it was almost certainly someone's central heating.

Regional manager Alan Clayton said: "At this time of the year these problems suddenly erupt because people are starting to put central heating back on.

"It's impossible to give a definitive answer before we investigate but I would have every expectation of it being a thermostat."

Jean has asked the radio communications inspector to track down the troublesome boiler and hopes to be able to watch EastEnders again soon.

"It's driving me up the wall," she said. "It can't be mine because we only have it on for an hour but there's no way of knowing whose it is. I just feel like I'm back where I started."

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