“We’ve been stuck outside in the cold for hours”
Mersey Fire and Rescue Service at the scene(Image: Liverpool Echo)
People living on a street in Tranmere heard a “huge bang” this evening following a power cut. Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS) was called to Summerford Close shortly after 5pm on Tuesday, December 30, following reports homes in the area had lost power.
Scottish Power engineers are in attendance at the scene and are awaiting a specialist dig team, MFRS confirmed. A 30-metre safety cordon has been put in place and is being managed by Merseyside Police. Postcodes affected by the outage include CH42 3TA, CH42 3TB, CH42 3TL, CH42 3UX, CH42 3YH, CH42 3YJ, CH42 3YL, CH42 3YQ, CH42 5ND, CH42 5NH, CH42 5NJ and CH43 1AA.
Ebony Smith, who lives on Summerford Close, described the moment the power outage started. She said: “The power went off at about 4.55pm.
“All the lights went out and I heard a big bang. We didn’t know what it was, so we came out of our house and the whole close was in darkness. Everyone was talking about the electricity going off.
“The fire brigade arrived soon after, and some people were evacuated from their homes. We’ve been told the underground wires have blown. We’ve been stuck outside in the cold for hours.”
Emergency services on Old Chester Road in Tranmere this evening(Image: Liverpool Echo)
In an update on its website, Scottish Power said: “There is an unexpected power cut affecting the CH42 postcode area of Birkenhead. Our engineers are onsite.
“In most cases, our engineers can restore power by replacing a fuse at the local substation. However, if the fault is more complex, repairs may take longer. Should this happen, we will keep customers updated.
“We aim to restore power by 9.15pm on December 30, 2025. We apologise for the inconvenience and thank customers for their patience.”
A spokesperson for MFRS said: “Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service is currently in attendance at an incident on Summerford Close, Tranmere.
“A crew was alerted at 17.04 following reports of a power outage and one fire engine arrived on scene at 17.11.
“The crew arrived to find that a number of properties on Summerfold Close had lost power, and a blown electric grid nearby.
“There was no sign of smoke or fire, but fire crews placed a safety cordon around the grid while awaiting the arrival of Scottish Power.
“Scottish Power is currently in attendance and awaiting a dig team. A 30 metre cordon is currently in place and being managed by Merseyside Police.
“Part of Old Chester Road has been closed off while work is carried out, so please avoid the area.”
Traffic alert service Inrix reported that Old Chester Road was closed in both directions due to the incident, between Union Street and Southwick Road. Traffic was said to be coping well despite the closure.
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