A popular Wickford bar was forced to close following a power cut in the town centre.

Bar Plazma, along with more than ten other businesses on one side of the High Street, was plunged into darkness following a reported electrical explosion outside Douglas Allen estate agents.

Electricity suppliers EDF Energy confirmed that a fault in an electrical cable had knocked out power to five local businesses at around 1.25pm on Friday.

Engineers called to the scene then had to turn off supplies to a further 12 properties while they carried out work to fix the problem.

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