THE landlord of a pub and restaurant near Worcester has been left counting the cost of planned power cuts that never happened.

Engineers have twice been forced to abandon plans to carry out work in the Bransford area, first because of flooding, and now due to foot-and-mouth disease.

For Gary Whitby, landlord of the Bear and Ragged Staff at Bransford, it has meant hundreds of pounds in lost profits.

Mr Whitby said he turned customers away and changed staff arrangements in anticipation of the planned power cut.

But on Monday, engineers were turned back from farmland amid safety fears over foot-and-mouth.

In December, the work to maintain the overhead line was called off when flooding blocked isolation points. On that occasion, Mr Whitby closed the restaurant and altered staff arrangements.

The landlord has criticised supplier Whittington-based GPU for not notifying him that the power interruption would not go ahead.

"It's a lack or concern for the small businessman. GPU should have said they wouldn't be switching off the electricity and we could have traded as normal."

The pub has asked GPU to compensate for an estimated £408 lost profits from the first closure in early December.

But GPU spokeswoman Caroline Ling said compensation would only be offered where power was cut for more than 18 hours.

She said planned power cuts were sometimes cancelled at the last minute due to unforeseen circumstances, such as the flooding in December.