Boxing Day power cut hits Ilford businesses

The festive season is synonymous with wonderful arrangements of Christmas lights in high streets across the country.

But for Ilford High Road it was a case of lights out – albeit temporarily – on Boxing Day afternoon.

Three businesses in Clements Road had no power for nearly two hours after a fault to an underground cable at 3.18pm.

Power was restored by engineers at 5.07pm.

Cineworld, in Clements Road, Ilford, was one of the businesses affected.

Dinah Rahman was told to come back on Saturday to the cinema to get a refund.

“[It was] a bit inconvenient if people made a special journey to the cinema to join friends,” she said.

Rai Holdstock, store manager of Bodgers, in Station Road, Ilford, said his business was only affected by a power cut of “three seconds”.

“Everything went off and then back on again very quickly,” he said. “It did not affect my business at all.”