An energy company has postponed a planned power cut on the day of the Coronation following an outcry from residents of a County Durham village.  

Northern Powergrid, which had planned to cut supplies to 63 homes in Esh Winning between 9am and noon on Saturday. But it reversed the decision following the intervention of an MP and a parish councillor. 

When residents initially complained to the company they said they were told that nothing could be done to change the date and time which had been "deliberately scheduled for a weekend to minimize disruption".

One was advised to find a place where the Coronation could be watched live or use BBC iPlayer in the afternoon for catch-up.

Letters were originally sent out to residents in the affected area which were dated April 25, but only reached them on Tuesday (May 2).

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Parish Councillor for Esh Winning, Diana Simpson, who took up the matter on behalf of residents acknowledged that Northern Powergrid had apologised and "realised an error had been made".

And, although she is happy the issue has been resolved, she said power issues in the village prior to this "rubbed salt into the wound"..

She added: "The households in our village that would have been affected are the very ones that have had to suffer three lengthy cuts over the last few months, due to cables being cut through at the building site near to us.

She said:  “One cut, in winter, believed to be due to a severed cable at this site, resulted in my begging for hot water at the Stags Head in the village as my husband was newly out of hospital having been re-admitted with pneumonia after a major operation.

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“The power was off for several hours with only one hot drink in that time and no heating.

Cllr Simpson added: “I’m glad the planned powercut has been cancelled because so many people wouldn’t have been able to watch the Coronation.”

City of Durham MP Mary Kelly Foy also intervened on behalf of residents. 

A spokesperson for Northern Powergrid, the electricity distribution network operator for the North East, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire, confirmed that a planned power cut, which been organised for the May 6, has now been cancelled and all customers notified.

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The spokesperson said: “We were contacted by customers who were concerned about the planned power cut and the impact it would have on their enjoyment of the King’s Coronation.

"As soon as we realised, we arranged for the work to be cancelled and we informed the 63 customers.

“We have arranged for those affected to receive a small goodwill gesture payment for their inconvenience, and advised that we will be in touch with a new date for the work.”