Dozens of stores were forced to turn customers away when problems with the electricity supply briefly plunged Canterbury's Whitefriars shopping centre into darkness.

The lights went out at around 12.30pm Friday.

Shoppers were turned away from and signs were put up by town centre management warning people not to use lifts.

The electricity went on and off, before coming back on at around 1pm, creating suspicion that it was a power surge rather than a power cut.