Hundreds of residents had gathered on Harwell Road in Sutton Courtenay to watch the historic three towers fall. However the aftermath of the 375ft tall towers crashing to the ground, sent shockwaves through the town with reports of an ‘explosion’ at a nearby pylon. The demolition took place at 7am this morning and 40,000 homes were left without electricity.

According to an eye-witness on the side of the road it “rained down with sparks” after overhead lines caught alight.

It is also claimed the shocking incident caused burns to a three-year-old child who was standing nearby.

The mother of the three-year-old child told the Oxford Mail: “For a brief moment I thought someone had let off fireworks. But it rained down with sparks that burned, and we got burned.

“My five year-old ran away so she wasn’t hurt, but the three year-old was busy watching videos and some of her hair was burnt. But she’s fine now, it mostly got her.

“Some people said it was a drone which hit the power lines, but then other people have said it was debris, so at the moment we aren’t sure what caused it.

“It was frightening though. Everybody screamed and ran.”

The blackout lasted almost one-and-a-half hours and was fully restored by Scottish and Southern Electricity by 8.20am.

The energy provider confirmed an investigation is underway.

A spokesman for Scottish and Southern Electricity said: “Shortly after 7am this morning, SSEN received reports of damage to its network at Sutton Courtenay, following the demolition of the nearby Didcot Power Station.

“SSEN engineers attended site to make the situation safe and power was fully restored to the 40,000 customers affected by 8.20am.

“An investigation is underway as to the cause of the incident and SSEN is working with all relevant authorities.

“Further details will be shared once they are known.”

Prior to the demolition of the towers, Tiernan Foley, RWE’s demolition project manager, said “We understand the power station has been part of the local community for over 48 years and for many people the demolition will mark a significant day for both Didcot and Oxfordshire.

“We would like to thank the local community for their support and all the people who have worked at the site.”

The didcot power station ceased operation in 2013 after running for 43 years, and three of its towers were demolished in 2014.

Four men died after the partial collapse of the boiler house at the plant in February 2016.

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