BUSINESSES in a shopping precinct were left without electricity today (Friday) after an electric power cable was accidentally cut.

The electric cable was cut at The Hyde off Hydean Way in Stevenage while workers from Miletree Construction were carrying out a regeneration project at the site.

The accident, which occurred at 10am, did not stop the flow of electricity upon impact but all power was stopped between 12.34pm and 1.54pm as a precaution.

One eyewitness, who didn’t want to be named, said: “There was a plume of black and lots of smoke came up.”

Steven Corkett, co-owner of S&S Computers, a computer repair company at The Hyde, said: “We had computers and laptops sitting there waiting to be done but we couldn’t do anything.”

Fellow owner Sarah Murphy added: “We were worried about the automatic shutters as we live in Wembley, there’s no way we could’ve left.”

Des Barker, from Poplett’s Tackle, said: “Because they let us know a couple of hours in advance we could get all the cold rooms down as low as they could go.

“They kept updating us with what was happening and it took an hour and 20 minutes. I was worried about my bait but it was OK.”

A spokesman for Stevenage Borough Council, who have contracted Miletree Construction to carry out the work, said: “It didn’t go through the mains but nicked it. They turned the electricity off to make sure it was safe.”