THREE thousand people in the north of the borough were plunged into darkness during a major overnight 10-hour power outage.

Properties in HA7, HA8, HA9 and NW9 postcodes lost their entire supply from early Thursday evening and UK Power Networks, which runs the infrastructure, sent local engineers to fix the problem and brought in emergency mobile generators.

Gerald Hambury, 73, of Gordon Avenue, said: "I was watching TV when it went off. The lights didn't flicker, it was a straight cut.

"We had nothing to do but go to bed - that was about it - as the heating takes a couple of hours to cool down.

"The power was off from 8pm until 5am. The whole of Gordon Avenue was out and then about two hours later half the road came on again, those houses up to our house.

"The light in my room had been on so when power was restored, it came on and woke me up."

Mr Hambury, who used to work in the retail and clothing industry, added: "It was the fault of an underground cable, which has now been repaired.

"It was quite a serious power cut."

A UK Power Networks spokesman said: "UK Power Networks engineers worked through the night to restore power supplies as quickly and as safely as possible to 3,218 customers in the Stanmore and Harrow Weald area following a fault on our underground high voltage network at 8.14pm.

"Power supplies were restored in stages through the night, with the first group restored at 8.42 pm and the final customers back on supply at 5.50am. 

"We appreciate how difficult it is to be without electricity and apologise to all those affected."