HUNDREDS of viewers in Manchester were left watching television from Wales, the Midlands and London following the digital switchover.

Around 250 people contacted a special helpline to complain that yesterday's digital switchover had left them watching the wrong regional channels.

Instead of tuning in to Granada and North West Tonight, viewers were left watching Central Tonight and welsh-lan guage soap Pobol Y Cwm.

Problems arose for Freeview customers after they retuned their sets following the digital switchover and were left receiving signals from transmitters outside the North West broadcasting programming from Wales and the Midlands.

Virgin Media customers were also affected as the company broadcast programmes from BBC London rather than the North West.

Joe Smithies from Digital UK said: "Our engineers have turned off the analogue signals at 70 transmitters and boosted the digital signal from these sites.

"This means that almost everyone will now be able to receive digital television.

"It also means that some viewers living close to the border of the region may now be receiving a signal from a different transmitter which is broadcasting a different region's programming."

He added that viewers can alter the settings on their Freeview box or television to ensure they receive a signal from the transmitter in their region, allowing them to watch programmes from the North West.

A spokesman for Virgin Media said the company had opted to suspend BBC broadcasts from the North West and replace them with those from London during the digital switchover.

They added that viewers should resume watching BBC programming from the North West today.

For help on the digital switchover contact Digital UK on 08456 50 50 50.