North Isles power failure

A major operation has swung into place after the loss of power to many of the North Isles of Orkney.

Scottish and Southern Energy said that at approximately 4.30 am alarms sounded at their headquarters in Perth alerting SSE to the fact that there was a loss of power affecting around 950 customers on the islands of Eday, Shapinsay, Stronsay, Sanday and North Ronaldsay.

A SSE spokesman said: “Our engineers are currently carrying out investigations into the cause of this interruption and our priority is to restore power as quickly as possible. The islands are linked by a series of subsea cables and we are currently examining these for damage.

“Alongside these investigations, we are mobilising generators from the mainland which, once connected, will restore power to the islands. We expect that the generators will arrive and be connected later today. We apologise to our customers for this interruption and thank them for their patience whilst we resolve this.

SSE added: “We will aim to keep our customers updated of progress. If anyone has any concerns, or is aware of anyone who may be vulnerable, please contact our Emergency Service Centre on 0800 300 999.

“We are working with the relevant authorities to ensure that all vulnerable customers are kept informed of the situation and are aware of assistance that is available.”