MYSTERY surrounds the suspension of work on Bournemouth’s Fibrecity network.

Around 140 contractors were told on Friday not to come in this week and work has also stopped at a sister project in Dundee.

The Echo understands the company was last night holding a board meeting about the halt.

Fibrecity says the delay will only last four weeks but provided few details of the “restructuring” that is behind it.

The firm has been digging up the town’s pavements to provide free, superfast broadband in the hope people will sign up to its services.

The main contractor for the work is Next Level where one employee, who asked not to be named, said: “Everyone on the contract has been laid off.

“They have dug up half of Bournemouth but we don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Another contractor said: “The official line is they are consolidating what they have dug so far.

“They haven’t delivered the amount of customers they thought they would get. Less than 500 have signed up.

“From the Next Level point of view it’s a disaster.

“You are probably looking at 140 people who were working on it in Bournemouth.”

Tim Sullivan, from the Next Level Group, said the situation should be resolved “by the end of the week”.

He said: “We are having meetings and discussions with a number of parties but we will not be making any comment yet.”

In response to further questions he said: “At the moment we can’t give anybody a specific answer but we don’t know ourselves exactly what is going on.”

Fibrecity director Seamus Given said it was “internal restructuring” and the decisions were being taken at board level.

“There’s nothing sinister or untoward going on,” he added.

Fibrecity’s parent company, i3 Group, said in a statement: “i3 Group is committed to Fibrecity Bournemouth.

“However, work has been delayed slightly while the group’s UK operation is restructured to bring it in line with the company’s overseas subsidiaries.

“This restructuring will increase the efficiency of the organisation.”

Bournemouth council said it had not been told about the suspension of work.