ALMOST 600 homes in Accrington were left without power after and underground explosion rocked the area.

A fault on an electricity cable caused the blast.

Police officers were called to the junction of Burnley Road and Alice Street, Accrington, on Thursday afternoon, following reports of a loud bang, which had caused the pavement to lift and rupture.

They cordoned off a stretch of the road from Alice Street down to Penny House Lane, amid fears that there could be an underground fire.

The Fire Brigade were called out and remained on standby at the scene while United Utilities engineers dealt with the problem.

A spokesperson for United Utilities apologised to all of the customers concerned, adding: "It was basically a fault on an underground cable which sometimes can heat and produce a kind of bang, lifting the pavement a little.

"We apologise to our customers and we managed to get everybody back on as soon as we could.

"The power went off about 3.15pm and in most cases was back on by 4pm."