Lights out at Blackpool Illuminations due to rain

5:10pm Friday 5th September 2008

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Torrential rain storms have left some areas of the six mile stretch of Blackpool Illuminations flickering rather than shining with many technical faults caused by recent heavy storms.

Due to consistent strong showers, driven by strong winds, council bosses in Blackpool said it has been difficult for technicians to safely access the faults and fix them.

It just a week since the famous illuminations were switched on by TV's Top Gear team.

But despite the problems Councillor Maxine Callow, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Tourism at Blackpool Council, has ordered the problems get fixed as soon as possible.

She said: “Since the spectacular switch on last week the town has been buzzing with holiday makers and residents who want to see the full stretch of the lights.

"It is such a shame that the weather has spoilt their experience but at least the faults are limited to one or two sets of lights and not full sections, so everyone should still get a feel for what the Illuminations department is trying to achieve.

“However, we need to make sure that those visiting us over the next few weeks get the best that we can offer and I have requested we put our best foot forward to attempt to get these problems fixed immediately.”

Technicians from the illuminations have been out throughout the night waiting for breaks in the bad weather to fix as many faults as they can and will not stop until all of them are fully restored to working order, council bosses claim.

Many of the faults have now been fixed but with forecasts showing more bad weather on its way it is likely the remaining faults could take until early next week to put right.

The illuminations have been an annual feature in Blackpool for more than a century and attract thousands of visitors to the resort every year.