Power substation saved from flooding

Engineers from Electricity North West have been working in conjunction with emergency services to save the substation at Willowholme and prevent 60,000 properties being left without power.

Plans had been put in place to cut the electricity to 5,000 customers at a time, in a bid to stop the mass blackout.

Engineers and partner agencies have been pumping water from the area and have now revealed they have managed to protect the substation and secure power supplies.

Electricity North West systems manager Chris Fox said: “Our engineers, with the help from partner agencies, have done an amazing job to protect the substation and power supplies to thousands of customers in Carlisle.

“We have restored power to more than 13,000 customers across the region since the severe weather hit and we are working to restore the remaining customers in Appleby, Coniston and Mintsfeet as quickly as possible.

“This is an incredibly challenging time for many people and I can assure them that we are working around the clock with the emergency services to coordinate the best response we can.”

An additional 600 properties in Cumbria remain without power however, including the Cumberland Infirmary - which has been forced to declare a major internal emergency.

This morning Cumbria fire area commander Justin Robinson confirmed to the News & Star that there had been an explosion at a substation underneath Newman School.

This comes in addition to 55,000 properties without power over the border in Lancashire.

Other areas of Cumbria hit by electricity problems caused by flooding include Cockermouth and Appleby.

However, the gale force winds and storms have also had an impact on electricity supplies in Aspatria, Whitehaven, Kirkby Stephen, Braithwaite, Frizington and Wigton.

South Yorkshire fire service is among those who headed to the county to help, bringing with them additional generators.

These are being flown by Chinook helicopter to the most desperately in need areas of the county.