Questions asked over storm misery

Residents did not merely brave the brunt of last Tuesday’s storms which sent gales of more than 100 mph across the Kelvin Valley – but its unforeseen aftermath.

Dismayed locals thought the power cut would be short lived. Instead they endured around 60 HOURS without electricity.

Local councillor David Key, whose own home in High Banton was affected, said he was seeking answers from Scottish Power via his Scottish Nationalist colleague Jamie Hepburn.

Councillor Key has also accused the utility firm of failing to keeping customers informed of what was happening.

Meanwhile, Cumbernauld and Kilsyth went into a post-festive lockdown as the storm force winds battered the area, with roofs torn off, roads flooded and trees uprooted.

A ScottishPower spokesperson said: “We experienced more than three months’ worth of faults in one day, and engineers did everything they could to update information on all of the faults as regularly as possible to keep customers informed.

“Those customers who were without power continuously for 48 hours following a storm will be entitled to compensation under the energy regulator Ofgem’s guidelines.

For our in-depth round-up of the devastation, see your News and Chronicle – out now.