City firms hit by blackout:

Feb 22 2007 By Jasbir Authi, Birmingham Mail

THOUSANDS of workers were left without electricity after parts of the city-centre were hit by a power cut.

Nearly 90 buildings were plunged into darkness after a major power cable was damaged just after midday yesterday

Central Networks, which is responsible for distributing electricity to the Midlands, said a major power cable had been severed by a third party and they had dispatched their engineers to solve the problem.

The areas affected by the power cut included parts of Corporation Street, Weaman Street and Dalton and Newton Street where the city courts are based.

Birmingham Magistrates and the Queen Elizabeth II Crown Courts, were forced to postpone afternoon listed cases and close early while engineers worked to restore supply.

A spokesman from Central Networks said 86 of their customers lost supply after a cable situated near Colmore Plaza was severed just after midday.

By 5.15pm, power had been restored to all but three of the 86 affected customers.

But by 9pm, two buildings on Weaman Street and Newton Street were still without power.

Central Networks said the power was taking longer to restore in these areas as the buildings are situated closer to the damaged cable.

The spokesman said: "Someone not connected with us hit a cable. 86 customers lost supply after a cable on Colmore Plaza was severed.

"Engineers are doing what they can. The problem is that when someone cuts a cable you can reroute the supply but once you get close to the problem it gets difficult."