A POWER cut led to a large bang "like an explosion" at a chemical plant in County Durham tonight.

Large areas of Newton Aycliffe were closed off after the police and fire services received reports from the public of an explosion at the Hydro Polymers factory on the Aycliffe Industrial Estate.

Just before 7.10pm eye witnesses heard a bang, which was audible almost a mile away from the site, and saw what looked like smoke and steam rising from the factory.

Speculation was rife within the town as to what had happened, and residents were told to stay indoors and keep their windows closed.

But it later emerged that the incident had been caused by a power failure, which meant substances needed to be released into the air in a controlled manner.

Great Aycliffe Town Council deputy leader Bill Blenkinsopp, who was at the authority's offices, just yards away from the factory, said: "The noise nearly shattered the windows."

A spokesman from the plant, which employs 400 people, said: "As a consequence of a local power failure outside the immediate control of the plant, there was a release to air of some semi processed plastic raw material from a processing vessel on site.

"This is a planned and deliberate safety procedure triggered automatically as part of a standard emergency response to power failure."

He added that there was no danger to residents or plant personnel, and that the decision to take the measures had been made in consultation with emergency services."

Several areas of the town, including a swimming pool, Macmillan Road, Lion Road and Church Close, were plunged into darkness at around the same time.

The power supply was restored at 10.30pm and roads reopened at about 11pm.

For full story see Wednesday's Northern Echo.