RESIDENTS on Newport's Blewitt Street found their address really lived up to its name yesterday.

A massive power surge blew out thousands of pounds worth of electrical appliances, leaving TVs smoking and freezers defrosting in Baneswell.

One resident was taken to hospital by ambulance when the resulting power cut left her nebuliser breathing equipment useless.

Elsewhere residents were worried about lack of heating, cooking facilities, damaged equipment and the welfare of their tropical fish.

Resident Kay Meade, (pictured) 66, was watching TV at the time of the blowout, early yesterday afternoon.

She said: "There was a loud bang and smoke poured out of the top of the set. I panicked, it was quite frightening. The smoke seemed to stop but the smell was awful."

The mammoth surge also affected St Mary Street, Edward Street, Victoria Crescent and Albert Terrace. Firemen called to deal with a smoking TV advised residents and shut down power supplies.

A Blewitt Street resident said: "I could smell a burning smell. It stank upstairs and I found the heating and lighting system on my tropical fish tank had blown. If it doesn't come back on soon the fish could die."

Businesses were also hit. Paul Gabica, landlord of the Oddfellows and Foresters Arms, had to close for the afternoon. He said: "It all went. The gambler, the TV, the pumps, the juke-box."

St Mary Street newsagent Ernest Burt, 59, said: "The till in the shop was making a huge noise, and it's probably completely broken now.

"I've got to add things up by hand now."

Several vans of engineers from Western Power Dist-ribution arrived to look at a sub station off Clyffard Crescent.

One engineer said: "This is a lot more than just a power cut." He said fuses and circuit breakers used in homes would be ineffective against a surge like that.

Residents said the power came back on at around 5.55pm. A spokesman for Western Power Distribution said: "About 40 properties were affected. A transformer fault caused the power surge. "We are still investigating."

He said a loss adjustor would visit all affected houses to evaluate compensation claims for damaged equipment.