Hounslow town centre was plunged into darkness this morning as a power cut forced stores to evacuate shoppers and staff outside to safety.

The cut, which also affected parts of Isleworth, was believed to have started at 10.25am and lasted for around 90 minutes.

Mohammed Saeed, a security officer at the Treaty Centre, said a number of shops, including large department store Debenhams, had to be evacuated.

"There were no lights on some of the floors and alarms sounding," he said.

The power cut also affected trade, with Blue Inc. Store Manager Syed Hussein estimating he lost between £300 to £400.

A spokesperson for Southern Electric apologised to customers and said: "We are doing everything possible to ensure this won't happen again."

An investigation into the cause in the power cut continues