ENERGY chiefs have apologised after nearly 3,000 properties - including a number of businesses - were left without electricity for a large part of an afternoon.

Engineers from UK Power Networks were sent to Framlingham on Sunday.

A fault on an underground cable led to 2,805 properties losing electricity around 2pm.

The power cut affected large swathes of the town including the Mount Pleasant and Castle Brooks areas.

It also caused disruption to a number of businesses.

Henrietta Lewis, who runs the Castle Inn with Alan Knight, said: “We thought we might have to shut but in the end it didn’t come to that.

“The power was gone for most of the afternoon. It finally came back around 4pm/4.30pm, just as it was starting to get dark and we were gathering some candles.

“We’ve just had a new TV installed so there were people here watching the football. We had one group sitting here sipping their beers in the dark.”

Andy Duncan, landlord at The Railway pub in Station Road, said he was forced to shut early.

“We eventually got the power back around 5.30pm,” he said. “But by that time I was upstairs and closed. I was cooking meals but the customers ended up having a sandwich.”

A spokeswoman for UK Power Networks said supplies were returned to 295 customers by 2.35pm, while a further 1,335 properties were restored in stages between 3.30pm and 5.35pm and the rest by 9.30pm.

She said the disruption was caused by a fault on a high voltage underground cable.

“We would like to reassure our customers that we worked as quickly as was safely possible to restore their supplies as soon as we could,” the spokeswoman added.

“We know how difficult it is to be without power, especially at this time of year and apologise for any inconvenience.”