Thousands of Black Country families feared that they would have to spend Christmas without their traditional turkey dinner due to a power cut.

Electricity cut out at 5,500 homes in Tettenhall, Perton and Finchfield in Wolverhampton at 8am yesterday due to an underground cable fault.

Brian Wain, of Perton, was preparing a roast turkey and all the trimmings for himself and six family guests, including wife Lynda, son Daniel, 18, mother and father-in-law Maurice and Betty, both 80, as well as 20-year-old daughter Sophie and her boyfriend Ryan, when the power failed.

The 55-year-old, of Richmond Drive, said: “It is just the worst day it could possibly happen.

“I had put my turkey on to cook at a low heat at about half-past midnight but it wasn’t ready when the power went out.”

Engineers were sent to repair the problem and re-route supplies.

The electricity was fully restored by midday.

“We didn’t know what we would have done if it hadn’t come on in time,” Mr Wain added.

A spokesman for Central Networks said electricity was restored to 1,000 homes within 20 minutes of it going off.