ABOUT 7,000 homes in the region were without power last night after spectacular lightning storms lit up the skies.
Firefighters were called to the Hydro Polymers plant on the Aycliffe Industrial Estate, on the edge of Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, after lightning started a fire in its roof. The blaze was brought under control without any serious damage.
Northern Electric mobolised all its engineers in an effort to restore supplies to homes across the North-East and North Yorkshire.
The company believed lightning strikes in several areas, including Darlington, Newton Aycliffe, Weardale, and Stanley, were responsible for the disruption to supplies.
Engineers were said to be investigating 130 reports of disruption.
The lightning storms, which lit up the entire sky, started at about 10pm and continued in some areas until after 1am.
Some places, including the village of Barton in North Yorkshire, were hit a double blow as their telephone lines also went down.
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