SHOPKEEPERS and customers were left out in the cold and dark when contractors replacing gas pipes in Frogmoor severed an electricity cable.

Nearly 500 businesses in the centre of High Wycombe were affected by the resulting power cut last Tuesday afternoon.

Richard Paxton, manager of the Octagon Centre, said 90 per cent of the shops were affected.

He said: "We only had emergency lighting so it was public safety that was our first concern."

Power was completely restored by 4.30pm.

Businesses counted the cost as customers left the town centre for the day.

Ritchie Barlow, manager of the Pocket Phone Shop, White Hart Street, High Wycombe, said he thought his shop could have lost as much as £2,000.

One witness said: "There was a great big bang and a spark."

David Morris, clerk of works supervising the mains relaying, said: "The electricity board checked it this morning and tested a lot of the cables.

"We asked them to cut them off which they did.

"Unfortunately there was a low voltage cable which lay deeper than the rest of them. It happens a lot with old cables."