Merry Hill power chaos
Merry Hill shopping centre was plunged into chaos today as vandals cut power to 40,000 homes, shops and businesses.Merry Hill shopping centre was plunged into chaos today as vandals cut power to 40,000 homes, shops and businesses. Thousands of shoppers were evacuated and stores were forced to shut up just hours before the centre's Christmas lights were due to be switched on by X Factor star Chico. It happened after vandals stole copper wire from a sub station. Read the full story in the Express & Star
Thousands of shoppers were evacuated and stores were forced to shut up just hours before the centre's Christmas lights were due to be switched on by X Factor star Chico.
It happened after vandals stole copper wire from a sub station.
They cut off power to the centre, Dudley, Kingswinford and Cradley Heath at 11.15am.
The cut also hit Brierley Hill town centre where Neighbours star Patrick Harvey was due to switch on Christmas lights tonight.
Electricity supplier Central Networks said it would take up to three hours to restore full power but many stores were able to reopen early this afternoon. There was chaos at road junctions around the area, as traffic lights were put out of action.
Merry Hill was plunged into darkness during one of its busiest days of the year as shoppers flocked to a mega-sale at Debenhams.
When the power went down Sainsbury's, Asda and Debenhams were able to continue trading by switching to their own generators.
Topman manager Stuart Ball said: "This is the second time it's happened in the last six weeks. We'd normally do really well today with the sale at Debenhams.
"Chico is to turn the lights on at Merry Hill today." Managers said it would go ahead as planned.
Val Turner for Gornal and Gerard Blest from Halesowen were shopping in Debenhams when the power cut struck. Mrs Turner said: "We were planning to come into Druckers for a drink anyway and we just thought why let a power cut spoil the day?".
Fire crews were called to Woolworths, Kingswinford, and Telewest at The Waterfront, Brierley Hill, to free people stuck in lifts when the power failed.
By Helen Cartwright
