A man suffered serious burns after cutting through a live electricity cable during an alleged break-in at a disused factory.

The suspected thief, aged 28, was found lying near a cafe in Darnley Road, Strood on Tuesday afternoon.

He is being treated in hospital with scars covering 25 per cent of his body.

The incident at the Kent Alloys site in nearby Knight Road, left 4,500 homes and businesses without power for several hours.

Police revealed today they have charged a man with burglary in connection with the incident.

The pair were allegedly trying to steal metal but the injured man allegedly cut through a main line electricity cable by mistake.

A spokesman for EDF Energy said: “Those behind these vandalism attacks risked their lives, as well as causing major inconvenience to those affected.”

Police are still trying to trace thieves who stole metal railings and poles worth £200,000 from Rochester Riverside earlier this month.