A Tesco superstore has been forced to close due to a power cut.

The store in Hammonds Farm in Burgess Hill has temporarily shut its doors after electricity went off for swathes of Sussex.

The power cut, which has hit Burgess Hill as well as surrounding areas including Hassocks and other areas of East and West Sussex, is affecting thousands of homes.

A spokeswoman for Tesco confirmed that the store had been closed due to a wider power cut in the area surrounding the store.

Tesco confirmed that the shop would be able to reopen as soon as the power had returned.

A spokesman for UK Power Networks said: “Due to a safety issue on our electricity network we have had to turn off power in the RH15, RH16 and BN6 areas."

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They added: “The cause is an emergency isolation our engineers have carried out for safety in the Burgess Hill, Haywards Heath and the surrounding areas.

"The current status of the issue is that we have had to switch off electricity in your area in order to carry out repairs safely.

"As these decisions are made quickly it's not always possible to inform you ahead of time, the estimated timeframe to have power back on is 11.30 to 12.30.

"We'll be in touch when we have more information."