Hundreds of visitors to the area were left in darkness as a major power cut hit homes and businesses on Friday at around 5.16pm.

Visitors posted pictures of Piccadilly Circus's neon lights switched off and of Soho and Chinatown in total darkness.

Kurt Pollington, 56, who works for a steel company on nearby Bond Street, said: "I was on the bus down Piccadilly from Oxford Circus and half way down all the shop lights were out.

"Shoppers were leaving the stores and they just had emergency lights on. I got off just past the Cafe Royal and the shops on the left were all out.