EMERGENCY services were called to reports of an explosion and fire at an electrical sub station in Dorset.

A safety cordon was put in place as firefighters from Blandford Fire Station and Sturminster Newton Fire Station attended the sub station at Church Lane in Blandford Forum at around 11.54am yesterday.

It was later confirmed to be an electrical fault causing smoke, and no action was needed by the fire service other than to remain on hand for representatives from Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) to arrive and isolate the power supply.

Around 147 customers in the area were left without power as a result of the electrical fault, the majority of whom were due to be reconnected hours later.

Of those affected, 57 households would have a slightly longer wait and were due to have power restored at midnight last night.

A spokesman for SSEN said the cause of the fault was unconfirmed but that investigations were being carried out, and encouraged residents who have young children or elderly people living in their households to sign up for its priority register; which you can learn more about by clicking this link.

A spokesman for Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "We were called to Church Lane, Blandford Forum at 11.54am after smoke was seen issuing from an electricity sub-station.

"Two crews attended, from Blandford and Sturminster Newton, and they put a safety cordon in place. The incident stop message came at 2.15pm, once electricity board engineers were on site and fixing the problem."