A WOMAN with chronic lung disease had to plug life-saving equipment into her car cigarette lighter socket after she was left without electricity for 30 hours.

Joyce Yeoman, 48, of Springfield Street, Darwen, relies on a nebuliser and oxygen to regulate her breathing and stop her from choking if she has a coughing fit.

But a power cut caused by a fault in an underground cable left 30 terrace houses in her street without power.

Mrs Yeoman endured a "night of hell" as she made a trip to the car to use her nebuliser -- which has a special adaptor -- every two hours.

She said: "I couldn't sleep at all. I was frightened of going to sleep because I cough and choke in my sleep and need the nebuliser and oxygen by my bed.

"With the electricity gone I couldn't use them if I started choking. Every two hours I had to go to the car to plug in the nebuliser.

"I couldn't even use the stairlift to go to the toilet upstairs. It was a night from hell.

"I'm very upset and annoyed about this. United Utilities told me to go to hospital but they would have just said 'you've had a power cut, so what?' I have no family except a brother who lives in Australia and all my friends live on this street so staying with them wasn't an option."

Neighbour Denise Murray, 36, said: "I have a two-year-old son and I'm also pregnant. I phoned up on Friday at about 5pm and was told they were dealing with the problem and that it would be sorted within an hour. They didn't even know what it was at that point.

"I keep tropical fish, which have a heated tank and need oxygen. They told me to wrap a blanket round the tank! That's just ridiculous.

"My son has asthma as well, so it's vital that we have heating."

United Utilities provided a generator for Mrs Yeoman on Saturday morning and power was finally restored at 4pm.

United Utilities spokesman Leigh Watson apologised and said all residents would receive compensation.

She said: "We regret Mrs Yeoman has been without electricity since Friday morning.

"We had a fault on an underground electricity cable in the area which proved difficult to trace.

"Unfortunately we can never guarantee a totally uninterupted supply of electricity so we advise any customers who require that to make alternative arrangements such as a generator or a portable battery."

For compensation residents should make a note of the date and time their power supply went off, and when it was restored, and call United Utilities on 0800 195 4141 for a compensation form.