FOOTBALL fans in Burnley could face a World Cup blackout after thieves stole £10,000 worth of high voltage power cable.

Half of the town's electricity supply could be crippled following the theft of more than 60 metres of cable from an area close to the Leeds and Liverpool canal at Burnley Wood.

Officials from United Utilities said today they were relying on electricity being re-routed around the problem area although they admitted they had no idea when it would be fixed.

And any damage to remaining cables at the site could have serious consequences for customers.

The gang risked their lives by cutting through 11,000 volts of live cabling with a power saw on Monday, which caused minor disruption to customers in the area.

And a spokesman said it was a "miracle" nobody was killed during the theft.

He said: "Obviously this is a very stupid and dangerous thing to do.

"We could easily have been dealing with someone being killed.

"It is going to cost £10,000 at least to buy new cable and get all the work done to install it."

Police refused to release the exact spot of the theft although they revealed scorch marks had been left on the ground where the cable was stolen. It is understood the cable has a sell-on value of up to £1,000.

Inspector Damian Darcy from Burnley Police said: "The person cutting this has been extremely lucky. They could have died.

"We are appealing for any witnesses who may have seen someone looking suspicious in the Burnley Wood area or for anyone who may have been offered this cable for sale."