ENGLAND- A village suffered a power cut after a black thong became tangled in overhead cables, an energy distribution company said.
The cut happened in the Lincolnshire village of Leadenham on Wednesday afternoon after the thong was found wrapped in power lines above a croquet lawn.
The underwear was apparently attached to a helium balloon which had gone astray.
Heavy rain had caused the thong to short circuit the cables, cutting power to 17 homes and businesses in the village.
Andrew Barrow, a spokesman for electricity distribution company Central Networks, said: "Our engineers are used to dealing with the unexpected but I think this might be a first for us."
He added: "Flying objects do occasionally cause us problems but in this case it was more risque than risky.
"What we think happened in this case was the offending article was on the line for some time but it was the heavy rain yesterday – wet things conduct electricity – which led to the short circuit.
"The main thing to say here is that if people do see something on the lines, don't try and get them down yourselves, that is when it becomes dangerous."
Engineers have now restored power to the homes.
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