A power cable was left dangling feet from the ground on a busy high street for a couple of hours until a repair was completed.

The overhead wire was left touching passing cars in Pewsey High Street just before 4pm yesterday, October 29, until residents propped it up with a metal ladder.

Police officers arrived on the scene and set up a cordon around the cable until an SSE engineer arrived and the cable was repaired around 6.20pm.

A Wiltshire Police spokesperson said: “We were called to High Street, Pewsey, just before 4pm yesterday (29/10) to reports that a power cable was hanging down across the road.

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“Residents had propped the wire up with a metal ladder to keep it off the road and our officers set up a cordon to make the area safe until an SSE engineer arrived.

“The cable was repaired at around 6.20pm.”

An SSEN spokesperson said: "SSEN responded to reports of a line which had descended from its usual position in Pewsey on the evening of Tuesday 29 October.

“Our engineers swiftly rectified this, and we'd like to thank residents for their patience while we carried out this work safely.

“We'd like to take this opportunity to remind people that if they come across a wire that's come down, to stay back and call us immediately on 105."

The Health and Safety Executive says: “Accidental contact with live overhead power lines kills people and causes many serious injuries every year.”