A DAMAGED electricity cable left more than 600 homes without power and disrupted train services between Romsey and Salisbury on Wednesday.

Southern Electricity engineers were called in the repair the cable near Mottisfont Abbey around mid-afternoon after power was lost across Mottisfont, Dunbridge and neighbouring villages.

Automated half-barriers at Mottisfont & Dunbridge Station level crossing also failed and Network Rail staff were called out to operate them manually. Signalling in the area was also affected and led to long delays on train services to Romsey, Southampton and Salisbury.

Power was restored to some homes by 5pm but others were blacked out until early evening.

However, the misery didn't end there because another fault development on the network in the early hours of this morning and some of the same area hit by Wednesday's cut were left without power again. All power was restored by 6am.