Lights back on for most after Wimbledon power cut (From Your Local Guardian)

Lights back on for most after Wimbledon power cut

4:45pm Monday 13th February 2012 in Top Stories

A power cut that left hundreds of homes in Wimbledon without electricity earlier today has largely been fixed.

Workmen drilled through cables at 11.30am, leaving 297 homes and businesses in the Merton Road area - as well as South Wimbledon underground station, which was forced to close - without power.

A spokesman for UK Power Networks, the owners of the damages cables who were tasked with repairing the damage, said supplies had been restored to all apart from 12 customers by 3.10pm.

The tube station was closed from the time of the accident until midday, and then again between 12.10pm and and 12.50pm.

UK Power Networks would not reveal the company who had caused the damage.

But a spokesman said: "We are committed to providing a reliable supply of electricity and, in a bid to reduce the number of power interruptions caused by contractors damaging underground cables, actively encourage any firm undertaking work to contact us in advance for advice and free cable locating maps, to help them avoid our cables.

"This is vital for their own safety as well as for the security of electricity supplies."