NEARLY 4,000 residents and businesses in Petts Wood and Locksbottom have been affected by a power cut in the last 24 hours.

This morning 1,992 people in the Bassets Way area of Locksbottom lost power shortly after 8.30am, with electricity completely restored by 11am.

Yesterday 1,978 people in Petts Wood were left in the dark at around 3pm with some not reconnected until after midnight.

Lights were out for nearly two hours at Petts Wood railway station with trains not stopping for safety reasons.

This is the third time in 11 months that the area has suffered a power failure, but EDF Energy Network, which supplies electricity to the area, says yesterday’s blackout was not connected to previous incidents.

Business owners not happy

Angry shopkeeper Kirit Patel, who owns Stones Newsagents in Station Square, Petts Wood, could not lock up until after power came back on.

Mr Patel, who was up at 5.30am yesterday, could not go home until 11.15pm.

He said: “I was affected very badly. I had to shut my shop at 3pm but I need electricity to close my shutters.

“I lost business and on top of it, it was an inconvenience to me.

“I have not slept the whole night as I was worrying about my shop.”

Bandbox Cleaners, a family-run laundrette in Petts Wood Road, Petts Wood, had to take clothes out of the washing machines in the middle of a dry clean.

One of the family Martine Gibson, 48, said: “This has been a regular occurrence for the last year.

“Myself and everyone else round here wants this sorted out.”

Trencherman’s Restaurant in Station Square lost £1,500 in takings and staff wages after the power cut forced them to close for the whole evening.

Manager Steve Atkins said: “We had to ring guests up to cancel their reservations.

“EDF should get a grip on their services and do something about it. ”

An EDF spokesman said: “Given the situation last year our network managers are monitoring the network to try to ensure there is not a knock-on effect on the low voltage network following this high voltage fault and have ordered a generator in case there is a further problem with the low voltage supplies around the station.

“There will be a brief interruption to supplies while this is connected to the local substation.

“We do understand how much inconvenience any interruption to power can cause and apologise to all those affected.”