RESIDENTS today said their lives were being made a misery by persistent power surges which have caused problems with their electricity for six years.

Around 70 of Twin Valley's tenants in Shakespeare Way, Blackburn, were left without electricity for almost 24 hours this week after a fault with a United Utilities junction box.

The problem caused sparks to fly out of television sets and smoke to come out of electrical sockets.

Tropical fish were left gasping after filters stopped working and one elderly resident said she fell after getting up in the dark to see why her electricity had gone off.

Residents said that the surges in power had been happening regularly for six years and today demanded that United Utilities sort out the fault before someone was electrocuted.

A spokesperson for United Utilities said that while the fault was frustrating for customers and engineers, due to limited funding United Utilities had to prioritise what work could be carried out.

The latest fault occurred on Tuesday at around 8pm when residents first noticed light bulbs dimming and televisions switching themselves on and off.

And Blackburn firefighters had to be called to the home of Becky Marrow after she saw smoke coming out of her computer and sparks flying out of the mouse.

Becky, who has an 18-month-old daughter Emma, said she was terrified when the bedroom next to her the room where her daughter was sleeping filled with smoke.

She said: "It was like something out of a horror film with lights that were switched off turning themselves on.

"The motor board on my computer has blown and the drive that stores all my photos has gone too.

"It had on all my photos of my daughter's first days, her first birthday and Christmas I am devastated." Other residents reported having to throw away frozen food and many of the elderly on the estate were left without hot meals.

Linda Nicolay said: "With light bulbs popping and things bursting into flames we are all worried that somebody will be seriously injured."

Ten houses were originally affected by the power surge but other homes lost their power when the supply had to be turned off at a sub-station on Stansfeld Street for work to be carried out.

A spokesperson for United Utilities apologised and said: "The voltage problems affected 10 properties, but 70 homes in the area had to be taken off supply to isolate the cable."

Twin Valley Homes chief executive Phil Richards said: "This is an issue that United Utilities must sort out."