Around 4,000 homes in Hebden Bridge and Todmorden were without electricity from 11.42am until 3.30pm following supply cuts in the Calder Valley.

Several businesses had to close.

Sarah Greenwood, manager of Coffee Cali at Bridgegate, Hebden Bridge, said: "The place has been dead and business has been poor. We haven't had any takings today, many of the sandwiches and paninis that would have been sold early afternoon are still here and will now just go straight into the bin."

Staff at Innovations were able to offer soup and cold sandwiches to customers but said that trade had still been hit.

Pauline Howarth said: "Usually we would have had a busy afternoon, but except for soup, we have done no hot food.

"I have never experienced anything like this in Hebden Bridge."

Around 3,000 homes in Hebden Bridge were affected by the cut and 900 homes in Todmorden.

A spokeswoman for CE Electric said all but 170 customers in Hebden Bridge had their power restored by 3.39pm.

Issy Shannon, of Melbourne Street, Hebden Bridge, said: "It's weird because it cut off, then was back on and off again around four times.

"It's all a bit strange. Even the traffic seems to have stopped."

Elaine Greenwood at Valet Stores said this was the longest power cut she had experienced in the town.

"We weren't given any indication of what was happening but it must be bad to go on as long as it has," she said.