BUSINESSES in Yarm High Street were hit by a power cut for the third time in two weeks on Tuesday

The electricity supply was lost along a stretch of the busy street for about 11 hours between 8am and 7pm

Shops, pubs and restaurants were again forced to close and thousands of pounds worth of trade and stock was lost.

Stephanie Richardson, of Strickland and Holt, said: "We managed to struggle on when the power went off two weeks ago, but on Tuesday we had to send the staff home. It's the first time we've ever had to close the shop."

She added: "We are all a bit twitchy because you don't really know if it's going to happen again.

"It's a bit like living in the Third World and it's just so disruptive for all the businesses.

"One of the amazing things is there is no compensation, yet it can cost people thousands."

Regulations state that the power supply has to be down for a continuous 18 hours before anyone is eligible for compensation.

The fault is believed to have been caused by a burnt-out cable. Its impact was reported to have lifted a paving stone.

Tim Williams, bar manager at Hide Bar and Grill, said people were fed up with the cuts and trade had been severely damaged all along the High Street. He said: "This is three full days we've been closed and we've lost out big time again."

Mr Williams added that the black-outs had also had a knock-on effect for other businesses who were not hit directly by the power cuts.

He said: "I came into Yarm on Tuesday night and it was really quiet. The taxi drivers were complaining that there was no-one about.

"We opened up again at about 8.30 but by that time everyone had gone. If places are closed, people just go elsewhere. It's hit everyone, not just those whose power has been off."

A spokeswoman for NEDL said: "A fault occurred on the low voltage underground cable supplying approximately 81 customers in the High Street area of Yarm. This was reported at 8.07am on Tuesday.

"Engineers worked throughout the day to locate and repair the fault. They replaced six metres of cable, effecting a permanent repair at 18.55."

She added: "We would like to apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused to our customers."