Production of the North West Evening Mail was held up when a two-and-a-half hour power cut halted work from 8.30am.

The delay meant only one edition of the paper was published - tagged the "Power Cut Special" on its front page.

And some of the regular items were spiked, although staff managed to avoid having to publish an emergency "skeleton" edition.

Editor Steve Brauner said: "That we had a paper at all is only thanks to the heroic efforts of all Evening Mail staff.

"Within minutes of the power cut, our sub editors and systems staff had set up a mini-network of computers and a mobile generator was ordered.

"The events have underlined just how reliant we are on technology to get the paper out - technology which is useless without power.

"But they have also shown the determination of all Evening Mail staff to produce the newspaper, whatever obstacles stand in the way."

A fault with a cable to the town centre from an electricity sub station was blamed for the power loss on Thursday, which resulted in many shops having to close. One building society carried out transactions by torchlight.

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