Around 300 properties in the Prince Road area of Selhurst have been without electricity since around 5am. All the affected properties need to undergo safety checks before the power supply can be restored fully.

On-site: UKPN engineers have to check 300 properties for safety after the electricity outage

Engineers from UK Power Networks have been on the scene all morning to deal with the outage, which is thought to have been caused by a power surge as the result of the theft of some cable from an electricity sub-station.

There have been reports of the incident causing the outbreak of fires in some buildings, but this has not been confirmed by the London Fire Brigade.

“Engineers are on site to repair the issue, but can’t say when they’ll be able to restore power,” a local told Inside Croydon.

UK Power Networks did step in to provide food and hot water to residents.

In a statement issued to Inside Croydon, a spokesperson for UKPN said: “Engineers are working to restore power supplies to about 300 properties in the Prince Road area of Selhurst, following third-party damage to the electricity network.

“We understand how difficult this is for our customers and have customer service staff on site visiting homes, providing updates and support. ​

“Theft of sub-station equipment has caused a neutral fault, which occurs when the electricity network’s neutral cable is damaged. It can result in voltage fluctuations, so our engineers need to access every property for safety checks, before restoring electricity.”

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