Cumbria has emerged as the worst place in the country for mobile phone signal in new research. 

A report by the RAC Foundation says that Cumbria has the most amount of roads without any 2G signal at all in England. 

A total of 252 miles of road in the county has no mobile phone signal at all. The research showed that most areas of the UK have mobile phone signal on all roads. 

The issue is forcing Cumbrian businesspeople to drive miles just to make a simple phone call, or check voice messages. 

The RAC Foundation published the research to highlight the dangers that drivers face in not being able to make phone calls in the event of an emergency. 

However it also highlights the problems many rural Cumbrian firms face in not having any mobile phone signal. 

Tara Booth runs a PR and media company based in Keswick. 

She said: “It can be a real problem. I often have to drive home to send information or images. 

“The poor phone signal means voicemails or texts sometimes get lost for days. 

“Keswick has been known to be without Vodafone signal for a month in the town centre. 

“It's awful during a period of crisis - missing calls, messages, trying to drive far enough to get a signal. 

“I pull over, use cafes, anything to keep communicating.” 

Julie Darroch, who run Lakes PR, has also been forced to return to the office to make a phone call. 

She said: “It is a constant challenge and constant frustration so these findings don't surprise me in the slightest. 

“I spend quite a bit of time travelling to see clients as well as attending meetings and events throughout the country, but the biggest issue with network coverage is normally when I'm back in Cumbria. 

“Even if it looks like I've got a signal, I'll still inevitably have missed calls or voicemails as calls haven't made it through. 

“And if calls do make it through, you can guarantee that the signal will drop and you'll spend the next 20 minutes trying to reconnect just to finish your conversation. 

“It's not a productive use of time so, whenever possible, I'll wait until I'm back in the office to make and return important calls.”

Areas with the most miles of road without any mobile signal

1)

Highland (452 miles of road with no coverage)

2)

Powys (437 miles)

3)

Argyll & Bute (293 miles)

4)

Cumbria (252 miles)

5)

Devon (243 miles)

6)

Dumfries & Galloway (237 miles)

7)

North Yorkshire (231 miles)

8)

Scottish Borders (226 miles)

9)

Gwynedd (172 miles)

10)

Ceredigion (156 miles) 

What is 2G 3G and 4G? 

2G - The second generation of mobile telephony systems, 2G coverage is suitable for making calls and sending text messages. 

3G - The third generation of mobile systems, 3G enables you to watch videos and TV and access the internet through your mobile phone. 

4G - Fourth generation of mobile systems. Provides even faster data download and upload speeds on mobile networks.