BUSINESS owners want a change in the law after they were without power for eight hours, costing them thousands of pounds.

Restaurants and businesses on Preston Street, Brighton, are calling for better compensation after they were hit with a power cut on Thursday at 2.30pm due to a fault with an underground electric cable.

Engineers from UK Power Networks attended the scene and all power was restored by 10.20pm.

Fourteen properties lost power but engineers then had to cut supplies to a further 27 customers at 5pm.

Angelo Martinoli, owner of Italian restaurant Casalingo, is calling on the businesses to rally for a change in the law to better support traders.

He said: “We do not get any compensation as the power cut was less than 18 hours but we are outraged as we lost nearly a complete day of trading.

“We managed to get in touch with our customers and cancel reservations but we lost so much business – around £1,000.”

A spokesman for UK Power Networks issued an apology for the power cut and said compensation claims are set by a regulator.

He said: “Our industry regulator Ofgem sets Guaranteed Standards and, if we fail to meet these standards, customers are entitled to receive a payment.

“Such payments are not compensation and do not take into account individual inconvenience or losses.”