TENS of thousands of pounds are being ploughed into a community to undertake vital maintenance work.

Electricity North West is investing £81,000 to upgrade the power network which has kept the lights on for customers in Sandside, Kirkby, for almost 70 years.

Engineers have started to replace aging overhead power lines which have been in place since the 1950s with 400m of new underground electricity cable.

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The eight-week project, which will be completed next month, will help ensure homes continue to have access to a reliable electricity supply.

Paul McGonigle, programme delivery manager for Electricity North West, said: “This essential project will help ensure our customers receive the power they need to their homes and businesses for many more years to come.

“We’ll do the work as quickly as we can to minimise disruption and we hope local customers understand the need for this essential project and we would like to thank them in advance for their cooperation.”

A road closure and diversion route will be in place on Sandside Road to allow engineers to carry out the work safely and local customers have been notified in advance.

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Kirkby and Ireleth parish councillor, Barbara Copley, has praised the engineers for their work.

She said: "All the engineers are being very, very helpful and a doing a really good job.

"They are tidying up after themselves and giving access to all of us. They're being very, very considerate and are working really hard."

When she first heard about the plans, Mrs Copley was a little dubious but has come round to see the benefits of the idea.

She said: "When they first came I was dead against it. I was quite happy with the overhead cables but they said they were coming to the end of their life so had to be replaced.

"Now I'm quite happy with them being underground.

"I've been living here for 66 years and there have been times when strong winds have cut off our electricity supply.

"At least wind and other weather issues are not going to affect us anymore."

Residents in and around Kirkby have long been campaigning to keep pylons and overhead cables out of the area after National Grid announced plans to erect a series of 50m pylons along the coast to connect power generated from Moorside to the grid.

Mrs Copley said: "I am very against these pylons. They'll be twice as big as the ones we've already got.

"I just think it's strange that National Grid are wanting to put these gigantic pylons up and they want these cables to go overhead but Electricity North West want them to go underground

"It's very conflicting."