A major power provider has issued a public safety warning after a car knocked down a brick wall and collided with an electricity substation in Inverness.
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) has asked customers and members of the Highland community to report any damage they see to the electricity network and to stay safe around electrical equipment.
The request comes after a car hit an electricity substation last month on the city’s Towerhill Road.
The vehicle caused extensive damage to the brick walls protecting the public from the electrical equipment inside.
But the incident was not reported to SSEN or police at the time.
Luckily, a members of the public called SSEN’s customer contact centre to report the damage and engineers attended to check the equipment was in tact, and erected temporary fencing.
SSEN’s Highlands and Islands regional head, Colin Pirie, said: “I would urge members of the public to report any damage they see to the electricity network or substations immediately to ensure our teams can make the area safe as quickly as possible.
“In this instance, we were lucky the electrical equipment was not damaged, but two brick walls were brought down, causing an electrical safety hazard if anyone had approached. We want to safely power our communities and we are appealing to the public to keep us informed if any accidents do occur.”
Hazards to look out for include: damaged or fallen power lines, damage or interference with electricity substations, vehicles or construction activities too close to power lines, damaged or exposed electricity cables, or trees to close to power lines or substations.
In a safety emergency, call 999 and ask for police who will contact SSEN directly.
For reporting power cuts, as well as damage to electricity power lines, substations or equipment that could put themselves or others in danger, call the SSEN national helpline on 105.
For more information, visit
ssen.co.uk/safety/