Blackout in southern Scotland

Thousands of homes and businesses in southern Scotland were without electricity yesterday after a leaking pipe disrupted supplies.

Around 10,000 customers were cut off at around 7.30am in and around Kirkcudbright and Castle Douglas, Scottish Power said. The disruption was caused by a leaking pipe which flooded the Tongland sub-station in Dumfries and Galloway. Twenty schools in the area were closed for the day and social services such as meals-on-wheels were delayed. Scottish Power engineers managed to provide alternative power supplies for 7,000 customers. A spokesman for the power company said yesterday it was not known when the remaining 4,000 customers still without electricity would be switched back on.