A "TECHNICAL problem" blew up electrical appliances across half of Brompton Regis on Monday afternoon, causing thousands of pounds of damage.

Electricity suppliers Western Power Distribution were staying tight-lipped over exactly what caused the "problem" but it seems likely a major power surge was to blame.

The incident happened when engineers from the company tried to reconnect the power supply to villagers who had been cut off from 9am to 1pm while overhead electricity cables were laid underneath the village green.

The cable laying project was chosen as the main millennium scheme for Brompton Regis, as residents wanted to return the heart of their village back to a more traditional-looking rural idyll.

But while that dream was achieved, others literally went up in smoke - with one man, Mike Ashworth, forced to run into his back garden with his video recorder when the "problem" made it burst into flames.

Brompton Regis postmistress Jenny Stringer said she believed too much power had been sent down the line when supplies were reconnected.

"Microwaves, televisions, videos, computers, fridges, even lightbulbs just exploded when the power came back on. Basically anything that had been left plugged in was affected," Mrs Stringer said.

The post office was one of the properties to escape the surge as the village is served by two main circuits, and only one was affected.

A spokesman from Western Power Distribution told the Free Press: "A technical problem on Monday did affect some houses in the village and we have had contact with those homeowners and will be dealing with their claims for damage."

She could not say how many homes were affected by the mistake and also refused to say how long it would take the company to replace the damaged appliances.

However, some villagers said they had been told it could take up to four weeks before all their ruined appliances were replaced.

l See Kwinty's Comment on Page 4