UPTON-upon-Severn residents were left without electricity after a live power cable snapped during high winds last Saturday (October 28) and fell in the River Severn.

Homes the town were left without power for more than five hours after the cable, close to the King's Head, Riverside, broke.

Nine firefighters from Upton and Malvern evacuated the area after the incident at about noon on Saturday.

Fire brigade spokes-man Alec Mackie said: "The inhabitants of a number of houses nearby were evacuated because the cable was lashing around and producing sparks and so on, and there was the possibility it could do some harm."

Rick Brown of Church Street, Upton, said the cable was smoking before it snapped.

He said: "It was smoking for quite some time and then I noticed there were sparks coming from it.

"The cable was glowing red just before it fell and then the line just fell into the river and burst into flames. It was quite dramatic."

Mr Mackie said firefighters were at the scene for nearly an hour and a half, and were called back to the same spot at 6.30am on Monday.

"More cables came down on the same place and a crew from Pershore attended," he said.

"In both instances, firefighters ensured the area was safe as electrical engineers were on their way."

A spokeswoman for GPU Power UK confirmed that some 100 households and businesses had been affected, in and around the Lower High Street area of Upton on Saturday. She said power had been restored to them by 6.30pm.