Major power cut hits Hilsea with '1,500 properties' left without electricity

The outage hit the PO3 area at around 9am today and power is expected to be out until around midday, according to Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN). 

The power cut is causing severe disruptions with businesses in the Hilsea industrial estate being forced to close early as a result. 

Curtis Bligh, who works for Excell Metal Spinning, has said that there has been ‘severe disruption’. 

He added: ‘It was all of a sudden. I had just finished the job I was working on when the power went out. It came as a bit of a shock to us. 

‘We went outside to see if we were the only ones who had been affected but our neighbour company had been affected as well. 

‘We tried to keep working because we have had 10 minute power cuts before but our bosses have told us to call it a day and go home due to the major disruption it has caused on operations. 

‘There has been severe disruption it has set us back days. We have had to closed for the day early, we would have been open until 4pm normally. 

‘We have been told up to 1,500 properties have been affected.’ 

On SSEN’s power track map it says that 20 areas have been hit by the power cut all of which have PO3 postcodes and that power is expected to be restored at 12pm today.