A MAN was taken to hospital on Saturday after suffering an electric shock following a power surge which left dozens of homes without electricity.

Around 70 homes in the Amiens Close and Mulheim Close areas of Darlington were left without power throughout Saturday, which Northern Powergrid blamed on an "unexpected problem with an electricity cable".

Residents reported that the fault had resulted in a number of power surges and, as a result, one man was taken to hospital after suffering an electric shock.

It is understood he was released later that day.

Many homes had their electricity restored after around 12 hours, although some were still waiting for power to return on Sunday morning.

Although Northern Powergrid confirmed the fault was not due to a deliberate act or negligence, they agreed to visit homes where electrical equipment had been damaged to repair them or offer compensation as a "gesture of goodwill".

In a letter sent to residents, the company said: "A fault caused excess voltage to be generated on our electricity distribution network and you many have experienced damage to some of your electrical equipment.

"We would like to say sorry for any convenience this has caused.

"We do seek to put customers back in the position they were in before the fault, with respect to cooking, heating, lighting, refrigeration and the security of their property.

"Other items such as computers and televisions will be repaired if possible.

"If for any reason we cannot source a part for an item, a financial offer will be considered based on the approximate value of the repair, not on the value of a replacement item."

A spokesperson for the North-East Ambulance service, said: "We received a call at 11.18am to attend an address on Amiens Close in Darlington.

"We sent one ambulance to the address and transported one patient to Darlington Memorial Hospital."