1,556 East Lancashire homes hit by New Year's Eve power cut (From Lancashire Telegraph)

1,556 East Lancashire homes hit by New Year's Eve power cut

1:25pm Friday 1st January 2010 in

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NEW Year revellers were plunged into darkness shortly after counting down to 2010.

A total of 1,556 homes were affected by the major power cut in Clayton-le-Moors, Altham, Huncoat and Simonstone.

The incident saw New Year parties cut short and whole estates without power or street lighting for up to five hours in affected areas.

Most residents said the blackout happened just after midnight, with power returning for most by 5am.

However nine homes were without electricity until at least 1pm today.

United Utilities said the problem was due to an unknown fault with an underground cable in Altham, which it had been unable to access due to a steel fence erected by a land-owner.

It will not be known whether the power cut was due to a worn cable, vandalism or other fault until engineers are able to access the substation in Altham.

United Utilities were checking land registry documents in a bid to track down the landowner.

The company was able to restore power to the majority of houses overnight by re-routing power from else-where.

One resident in Enfield Close, Huncoat said: “We all had a glass of champagne and were toasting the new year when it happened.

“It was just after we had counted down to midnight that all the lights went off.

"It was a real shock and the kids were all screaming but everyone just rallied together and got some candles and torches before going to check on the neighbours.

“We kept the party going for a bit but we soon decided to call it a night as there was nothing we could do about it.”

Bluebell Way resident Emma Jackson said: “We were hav-ing a party and it was just after midnight when every-thing went pitch black.

“Shortly after, a friend arrived in their car to pick someone up and told us the drive had been quite scary because all the street lights were off.

"We just got all the candles out and made the best of it.”

Neighbour David Entwislte said: “We were just having a quiet night at home when everything went out.

"There was nothing we could do so we just went to bed.”

A UU spokesman said: “We will not know what caused the fault until the landowner is able to let us into the substation.

“Unfortunately when land is sold on or changes hands, people do erect fences to keep out trespassers but they don’t inform us they have done it.”