AROUND 40,000 homes and businesses across the Hyndburn and Burnley areas were affected by a power cut in the early hours of today.

Faults in the electrical supply system were being investigated today by engineers after the cuts which affected supplies between 1.50am and 3.30am.

In residential areas, householders' sleep was interrupted as dozens of burglar alarms went off, triggered by the loss of power.

Helen Masterton, spokesman for United Utilities, said: "There were a couple of faults with the electrical network in Huncoat and Burnley at 1.50am.

"We got people back on in stages and the last ones were back on at 3.30am. Engineers were up throughout the night to get the power back on for the morning.

"Some factories will have used their emergency back-up generators. We apologise for any inconvenience caused."

Firefighters were called to Rossendale Road Industrial Estate at 1.40am after fire alarms rang out throughout the town. Sub-officer Peter Kelly said United Utilities were left to deal with the incident. "There wasn't much we could do but I suspect there would have been quite a few people woken up this morning with the noise of all the alarms," he said.

And fire crews from Accrington were called to four automatic fire alarms between 2am and 3am, which had gone off because of the cuts. They were at the Globe Centre in Accrington, Water Treatment works in Great Harwood and two others in Clayton-le-Moors.

Leading firefighter George Millaney, of Accrington Fire Station, said: "We were going out on a job at 1.45am and the whole area -- Accrington, Clayton-le-Moors and as far as Great Harwood -- was completely blacked out.

"The lights came back on within 15 minutes in Accrington but we turned out on a job in Great Harwood about half an hour later and once you got past Accrington Victoria Hospital it was still pitch black.

"Our control contacted the electricity authority and they said there were massive power cuts and it was heading towards Burnley."

The police control room in Blackburn took dozens of calls about burglar alarms going off.