THE plug was pulled on several rides at the fun fair in Rawtenstall last night after it was found electricity was being taken from a street light.

A socket had been connected to the column on Newhallhey Road and at least six extension leads were used to link up rides all over the fun fair.

A Rossendale Council officer, workers and the police called to the site were told by the fairground organisers that gipsies who been on the site previously had left a socket hanging out of the street light and they used it when a generator packed up that morning.

A spokesman for Rossendale Council said: "They had linked 15amp wiring into a 12,000amp mains supply. If there had been a short circuit the cables would have exploded and there would have been a giant fire cracker and metal work on the rides would have become live.

"We are not averse to people having a good time but we want to make sure they do it safely. The extension leads stretched the length of the fairground going through grass with sockets trailing in puddles of water. The system was completely overloaded.

"When we disconnected the power the helter skelter, children's roundabout, stereo systems, lights and music on the waltzer and the personal address system went down.

"They were contravening four electrical Acts, the health and safety at work Act and public health Act."

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