HOMES have been left without power after a ‘minor explosion’ at an electricity sub-station near Ramsbottom.

The explosion caused a fire which damaged the sub-station in Rosebank, Stubbins, at around 8.25am.

Electricity North West said the supply to 23 houses had been cut off but that engineers were working to restore power by 6pm.

Fire crews from Rawtenstall and Ramsbottom stations attended the incident for almost an hour.

Watch manager Shaun Naughton, from Rawtenstall fire station, said there had been a technical fault at the sub-station during an adjustment in the voltage output.

An Electricity North West spokesperson said: “We apologise to those affected by this fault, and thank the fire service for their assistance.

“Our engineers quickly arrived onsite and will work to remove the damaged equipment and restore power. Thankfully these types of faults are rare, and we are carrying out a full investigation into the cause.”