A MULTI-million pound museum being built in Dorset has been "plagued" with internet problems as a result of failings by BT, an MP has claimed.

The Etches Museum, which will be based in Kimmeridge, will house what is claimed to be one of the finest collections of late Jurassic Kimmeridgian fossils ever assembled in Britain.

But the £4.7m project - due for completion in 2017 - has "no broadband and virtually no mobile signal," Conservative Richard Drax told the House of Commons last month.

And the MP said staff of the museum communicate by using "smoke signals, a Coca-Cola can and some string or flags".

"In fact, they have to use anything they have to hand, as the lack of communication is so serious," he added.

Steve Etches MBE, a plumber who is also one of the world's most renowned collectors of fossils, dedicated his collection to the museum for public display.

"He was promised that, in 2017, a wonderful state-of-the-art museum would be built," Mr Drax said.

"It was to be properly provided with internet broadband.

"Unfortunately, he has now learned that that is not the case, and the building work currently under way has been plagued with problems.

"John Woodward is the project director. He says the project has no broadband and virtually no mobile signal. The contractors who are used to dealing with suppliers and architects by telephone and email have been cut off.

"Consequently, the entire design team has been forced, at extreme expense and time, to come down to Kimmeridge to ensure that things are going to plan. This is what is happening in 21st-century Kimmeridge in South Dorset."

Mr Drax said he has been told that BT appears to be "totally unable to upgrade the village landlines", adding: "Indeed, recently, the entire village was cut off."

The museum has asked BT for nine landlines, but said the project manager is "not hopeful".

"In the end, the fossil museum, local farmers, businesses and private individuals will be piggybacking on the new VoIP—voice-over internet protocol technology—to be installed by French oil firm, Perenco," he said.

"That will give a signal of 30 megabits and will cost £99 a month.

"BT was quoting somewhere around £100,000.

"Without private enterprise, this particular scheme would not have met its deadline.

"Something has to happen. Something can happen with a little imagination, competition and flair. Let us get off our backsides and jolly well connect up the country."