PAIGNTON businesses were left powerless and unable to make money after a power cut in Hyde Road yesterday.

Hundreds of pounds worth of business was lost by eight traders during the shortage, with some resorting to using candles to light their stores.

Forty-three Western Power Distribution customers were affected as the power went out at 10.13am. Fourteen had power restored by 12.28pm, and it is estimated the remaining 29 would have had their power restored by 6.30pm.

A Western Power Distribution spokesman said: "It is a fault with an underground cable and it took time to locate and then excavate, and then repair it and it looks like it was third-party damage.

"It looks like part of the road had been taken up recently and, unfortunately, it could have happened then."

Fifteen disabled people using Aspects, a day service for people with learning disabilities, had to be sent home because their cookery and computer groups could not go ahead.

The service users had come from as far a field as Broadhempston, Brixham and Totnes.

Gemma Dart, senior support worker at Aspect, said the loss of power had caused 'confusion and distress'.

Three staff took the clients to Woolworths because they had no power to make hot drinks.

Linda Owen, who runs Aroma Cafe, says she has lost hundreds of pounds worth of stock as her fridges and freezers defrosted. She also lives upstairs from the cafe. She said: "It is an absolute nightmare. With the parking meters out there killing us, this is the last thing that we needed. It is just another kick in the teeth.

"There are hundreds of pounds worth of stock lost, we can't take any money and we have had to close and we will have to re-stock everything."

Val Baker's florists, Bo-K, was only lit by candles and she and her staff huddled round them keeping warm.

She said she had no phones, no till and she couldn't take credit cards because the terminal wouldn't work without power. She had to close her website down, and the site links her into Teleflorist orders.

She said: "Are we going to get any compensation for this? In today's technological age, this has caused us problems."

Miller Countrywide estate agent was also affected but power was restored after an hour. But Connells estate agent and neighbouring Cosy Lettings were without power all day.

Penny Reynolds, manager of Cosy Lettings, said: "The only thing we have is two gas heaters and we have no phone lines or computers and we can only deal with people as they come off the street. We have lost lots of business today."

Choice Words Christian bookshop and M I Bushby opticians were also affected and properties above the shops were left without power.

A spokesman for Torbay Council said: "We are aware the utilities company has been on the site investigating the situation, and we are waiting to hear from them what the cause of the power failure was."