Found on NTL Service Status website:

Fault Type: Email
Location: Nationwide
Status: Intermittent (yellow)
Start Time: 13/8/2004 09:50

Description: Degraded service

Details:

ntl internet customers may currently experience difficulty accessing some or all of their incoming email accounts, and may experience timeout type error messages when trying to do so.

Our engineers are aware and are working to restore service as soon as possible.

Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.