A Neasden residential home was ‘plunged into darkness’ and water was lost after a cable malfunction this week.

Residents at Arran Court, a sheltered housing complex for vulnerable over-60s with complex health needs, reported being confused at the scenes.

One witness, who did not wish to be named, told the Times that there were ‘very few staff’ at the Press Road home after redundancies. “Some [residents] were in tears and visibly confused,” he added.

A Network Homes spokesperson said: “Due to a faulty underground cable there was a loss of power and water to some residents at Arran Court on Monday, December 28.

“Contractors from UK Power Networks needed to dig up the ground in front of the building to access the cable and were able to restore power by 11pm that evening.

“We appreciate that some residents felt confused about the situation so we’re looking into what happened so that we can improve our communication going forward.”