A major power cut has affected large parts of the UK including Kent.

It struck just after 5pm and forced the evacuation of shoppers at The Dockside Outlet in Medway.

Parts of Gillingham have also been affected and Southeastern and Thameslink services are being disrupted.

British Transport Police described the situation as "Unprecedented power outages".

Motorists were urged to drive with care as many traffic lights are down, including in parts of Medway such as Watling Street.

There have also been reports of disruption to mobile phone networks.

UK Power Networks says the issue has now been resolved, but admitted nearly a million customers have been affected.

After the problem first emerged, the company tweeted: "We're aware of a power cut affecting a large area of London and South East.

"We believe this is due to a failure to National Grid's network, which is affecting our customers.

"We may not be able to answer individual tweets at this time. Please keep an eye on our feed for updates."

The power cut affected large parts of England and Wales and blackouts have been reported in London and the South East.

National Grid later said it had issues with two power generators - but said they were now fixed.

The energy company has since issued a preliminary report blaming a lightning strike for the massive power cut, leading Ofgem to launch an investigation.

Read more: All the latest news from Medway