HUNDREDS of residents have been without an internet connection for days after a suspected drink-driver crashed into a power supply.

Nearly 150 homes were plunged into darkness at 9.30pm on Sunday in Tower Road, Sompting, near Lancing, when a car knocked down a lamp post, crashed into an electricity box, a fibre-optic cable supply and a wall.

UK Power Networks engineers had to cut off power to 50 more homes as they carried out urgent repairs and some were without a supply for nine hours.

Since then, BT Open Reach engineers have been working to restore internet and phone lines to 40 homes on the street – but so far to no avail.

Resident Leslie Mitchell, 60, heard the crash and ran outside to discover the carnage in the street and his wall destroyed.

He said: “I heard a really loud thud and everything went black. The cable supply was smashed out of the ground and the power unit had exploded. I was in a state of shock.

“There was fuel all over the road. We were worried the car could go up in flames. The driver was screaming. Then there were nine police cars, officers with dogs and three fire engines on the scene.”

He feared taxpayers would have to foot the bill for thousands of pounds of complex infrastructure repairs and said it had disrupted people’s lives.

The lamp post was installed by West Sussex County Council in March last year and its maintenance is contracted out to Scottish and Southern Energy. A council spokesman said it would be repaired or replaced by November 3.

A BT spokesman said specialist equipment was needed and the internet is expected to be restored today.

Police said the driver fled the scene and, after a search by officers, two men were arrested.

A spokeswoman said: “A 36-year-old man, of no fixed address, was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving, driving without a licence and driving without insurance. He was questioned before being released on bail until November 24.

“A 32-year-old Sompting man was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving but released without charge. He was given a caution for possession of cannabis and a penalty notice for using threatening words or behaviour to cause alarm or distress towards police.

“Anyone with information about the incident should call 101, quoting 1575 of 19/10.”