A frustrated scout leader was today still in the dark over a wrangle between a water and electric company which left her scout hut without power since March.

The 1st and 2nd Benfleet Sea Scout groups, which meet at a headquarters in Ferry Road, have been left powerless after a fuse blew in their scout hall.

Trouble started four months ago when an electrical fault blew a fuse in the junction box, in a pumping station at the end of the road.

But scout leader, Catherine Porter, claims that when an engineer from Eastern Electricity called to fix the fuse, he found the overhead cables running from the pumping station to the scout hall were dangerous.

Now she says Anglian Water, which owns the station, has banned her from replacing the fuse until the cables are fixed.

Miss Porter, 29, said: "We have been left with no lights, heating or electricity to power the kettle and microwave.

"The hardest thing is trying to run the meetings as normal. At first we had a couple of weeks where we did games in the dark, but we can not do that forever.

"We have had to borrow other headquarters and the group has even had meetings in Benfleet Station.

"Most of the time we are meeting outside because the hall is just not useable without electricity."

Claire Bacon, spokesman for Eastern Electric denied the problems had anything to do with the company.

She said: "Our electrician went out, but he did not touch anything.

"It was the water authority's own electrician that took the fuse away because he felt it was unsafe.

"Her dispute is with the water authority."

But, spokesman for Anglian Water, Sara Rowland, said an electrician from Eastern Electricity condemned the wiring.

She said: "He looked at the wiring going from the pumping station to the scout hall and said it was unsafe.

"If something has been condemned you are not meant to use it, therefore we can't go in and help the lady with something even as simple as a fuse.

"It has got nothing to do with Anglian Water, apart from the fact the wiring goes through our site."

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