Power cut by storms

Thousands of homes across Worcestershire were without power after storms brought down cables and trees causing scores of blackouts.

There were still about 100 homes without supplies this morning. Up to 80,000 properties across the greater West Midlands were cut off for varying periods of time after the gales and rain storms hit the area earlier yesterday.

Worst hit were those between Stourport-on-Severn and Leominster, with more than 5,000 customers blacked out. Properties in Shropshire and Gloucestershire were also badly hit.

Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service crews were kept busy answering emergency calls with more than 100 alone on Saturday night reporting problems because of the high winds.

These included a call-out to an 11-storey flats block at Hoobrook in Kidderminster where scaffolding planks were being blown by winds and hitting windows.

Alarmed residents at Champney House feared someone might be hit by the planks and fire crews used a special height harness to remove the planks.

Leading firefighter Tony Wilks said: "Two firefighters went out onto the flat roof, which would have been about 150 feet above the ground on the eleventh floor, to remove the loose planks. "

Spokesman for Central Networks Jonathan Smith said engineers had worked hard and that by yesterday afternoon 4,500 people were without electricity, including 1,300 in Worcestershire.

He said: "Over 24 hours some 80,000 people were affected but no more than 12,000 at any one time as the faults developed sporadically across the region.

"Worcestershire and Herefordshire faced widespread problems with difficulties experienced by people from Stourport to Leominster as power cables were brought down by high winds on Sunday morning.

"Our staff have been working hard to reconnect people ever since and we will have people back on as soon as possible."

By Sue Smith