POLICE were tonight investigating if power cables were deliberately brought down on to the A40, cutting electricity to thousands of homes in west Oxfordshire and gridlock in Witney.
The town’s bypass was closed after a tree landed on high-voltage cables, making them sag over the road, at 11am today.
Engineers spent almost six hours repairing the damage and restoring electricity to 1,500 homes around Witney.
The A40 reopened at 4.45pm and power supplies were back on by 5pm.
Police are investigating claims that someone was seen felling trees in woodland near the road, then driving off shortly after the power cables came down. Anyone with information should call police on 08458 505505.
Geoff Payne, landlord of the Griffin pub, in Newland, Witney, said: “It’s been gridlock outside here all day long. It’s all the way up Oxford Hill as far as the A40.”
Drivers suffered delays on the A34 between Oxford’s Pear Tree and Botley interchanges yesterday after a cow got on to the road. Police set up a rolling roadblock on the southbound carriageway at 7am until the cow was off the road.
A lane of the A420 was closed at the Buckland turning at 5.20pm yesterday after diesel leaked into the road after a van and two cars collided on the eastbound carriageway.
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