A community has being paralysed by repeated power cuts, striking more than 20 homes and crippling local business.

Ashford’s Beaver Road and Park Place area has been struck by nine power cuts in three weeks with one of the latest lasting 24 hours.

It has left householders shivering in the cold weather and plunged into darkness and local shops on some occasions losing hundreds of pounds in lost takings.

The Davies Family Bakery had no power for 15 hours overnight last Thursday and Friday and co-owner Andy Davies believes he lost up to £900 in that time.

He said: “I need power 24 hours a day to make bread and I have to pay the night baker to do nothing if power is off.”

Residents say the first power cut was on January 22 and the latest, for two hours, on Monday.

Beaver Road resident Ian Elkington-Brown said: “When it happens we can’t cook or heat our homes because our cooker and central heating are ignited by electricity.”

EDF Energy revealed that one cut stretched over 24 hours, from 10.45pm last Thursday to 11pm next day.

The power company’s records show nine power cuts affecting as many as 23 out of a possible 70 customers in the area.

The company says the problems have been caused by an intermittent fault on its low voltage underground network, which has been difficult to pinpoint.

A company spokesman said: “We would like to apologise to customers. We can fully appreciate how difficult it is being without electricity, especially at this time of year.”

See this week's Kentish Express for more on this story