HUNDREDS of properties were left without power and a tree caught fire after a freak explosion in Bournemouth town centre yesterday afternoon.

Bystanders said that they heard a loud bang and then saw that a tree behind Bournemouth Tourist Information Centre was ablaze at around 3.45pm.

Stores around Gervis Place lost power including Austin Reed, the Polish Delicatessen, Steam Trading Cookshop, Dingles, Karen Millen Clothing and Past Times.

Watch manager Jason Moncrief of Dorset Fire and Rescue, said that switch gear at an electricity substation which distributes around 11,000 volts had exploded.

He said: "We waited until the power was off and confirmed by the electricity board. We used compressed air foam to extinguish a number of small fires caused by the explosion."

Lorna Butchers, 30, manager of Karen Millen Clothing, said customers had to be evacuated from the shop.

"We heard a massive bang and the whole tree caught on fire. Now half of Bournemouth is out. It was a really loud bang. We had already been called out once for a fire alarm," she said.

Suzanne Smith, 43, manager of Steam Trading Cookshop, said: "I heard the explosion then I came outside and the tree was on fire. It was a bit of a shock."

Student Sheena Roberts, 20, said she and her friends left their flat above the Brasshouse after they heard an explosion and fire alarms going off in the building.

She said: "I heard quite a big bang of there was lots of black smoke. We could see flames through the trees from the flat. Then the electricity went out."

A spokesman for South Western Ambulance Service said that no-one was injured in the drama.

Insp Mike Claxton, of Bournemouth Police, said that there was no danger to the public. "At the moment we are trying to establish exactly what happened. There was a power surge and it led to a loss of power in the town," he said.

A spokeswoman for Scottish and Southern Energy said: "We had a report of an incident at our Westover Road sub-station. It resulted in the loss of power to around 400 properties."

She said engineers were investigating the cause, but the main priority had been to restore the power as quickly as possible by re-routing it from alternative sources.

"It's a very unusual incident. Until our engineers have had time to investigate, we wouldn't know what caused it," she added.