MORE than 2,000 homes in central Sittingbourne were left without power on Friday night after a sub-station blew up in Albany Road.

Fire crews and police were called at about 10pm after a fault caused the substation to blow up and catch fire.

One resident said the bang was like a bomb detonating outside her house.Passers by had to be moved back to a safe distance before the blaze was put out by firefighters.

Most of homes had their power reconnected within half an hour. A small number were without electricity until the early hours of the morning.

A Seeboard spokeswoman apologised for the inconvenience caused to residents in the town.