Morda homes hit by power cut

Up to 300 homes were left without electricity in a Shropshire village early today when an overhead power line was damaged.

The power failed just before 8am as families in Morda, near Oswestry, were rushing to get ready for school and work.

An electricity cable supplying 286 properties was believed to have brought down by contractors working in the area, utility company Scottish Power said.

A spokeswoman for the firm said it received calls about the problem at 7.55am.

Jane Holmes, spokeswoman for Scottish Power, said: "Calls came into us just before 8am to say that a company working in the Morda area had damaged one of our overhead cables. I believe it was brought down, causing supply to be lost to 286 customers."

Power company workers were able to reconnect 270 homes by 8.40am but the remainder were likely to be without electricity until at least midday, she said.

She added: "Scottish Power would like to apologise to everyone in the Morda area who was affected but the inconvenience was caused by another company working in the area that damaged an overhead cable during their work."