Sorry, this video asset has been removed.

This film captures the moment that an underground electricity fault sent flames shooting from the pavement.

The incident in Dartford was filmed on a resident's mobile phone as firefighters were called to the blazing manhole cover.

EDF Energy has confirmed that a fault on a piece of underground equipment led to the fire last Wednesday.

It also led to almost 40 homes in the area losing power while engineers isolated the problem to repair the fault in Priory Hill.

Sonia Keane’s home runs alongside the affected street.

She said: “We could smell what we thought was burning hair, and then we heard this noise and there was black smoke billowing from the manhole.”

A spokesman for EDF Energy Networks said: “EDF Energy Networks received a call from the fire service at 7.08pm after a fault on a piece of equipment on our underground electricity network in the Priory Hill area of Dartford.

“Staff attended and isolated supplies to 39 customers between 8.43pm and 10pm in order to safely carry out repairs.”

Work to underground cables continued through the night and supplies were restored by the next morning.

The spokesman said: “We apologise to customers for the inconvenience caused.”