AN electrical fire is believed to be behind a blaze at a barber’s shop and a power outage on Brecon High Street.

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service were alerted to a fire at Lexy’s Barber Shop at around 8.30pm on Monday after Paul Spencer-Jones, the owner of neighbouring Brecon Fish Bar, thought his drinks fridge was on fire.

Mr Spencer-Jones, who was just about to close up the shop, said: "I noticed smoke coming from behind my pop fridge about 8.30pm and when I moved it, I noticed it was actually coming from under the floor. I popped next door and could hear the smoke alarms going in the barber's so rang the fire brigade."

Lynton Phillips, who owns the barber’s as well as Brecon Antiques Centre which is above the chip shop and hair salon, said: "The fire started in an electrical box in the basement salon. There was a water pipe in there which melted and I think this probably quashed most of the flames.

"There is no power in the barber’s, chip shop and the Cellar Bar was also knocked off because of the fire but the Chinese has a separate electricity supply so was okay.

"I am hoping the power will be restored shortly so we can get back open as soon as possible."

Simon Prince, South Powys response manager for Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, attended the 999 call and said: "We received a call from the owner of the chip shop after he saw smoke coming from behind his fridge. Three crews attended, along with Dyfed-Powys Police and the Electric Board, and located the fire in the basement of the shop in an electrical cupboard. Luckily the fire hadn’t spread and was put out with a C02 extinguisher."

Mr Spencer-Jones said: "It was lucky I was here because if I had gone home then it could have been a different story, especially with gas supplies so close. The whole street could have gone up."

He added: "I am having the shop re-painted today, which had been booked in for ages, but we are hoping to be back open by Friday."

A spokeswoman for Dyfed-Powys Police said: "At approximately 9.10pm on April 4, police were alerted to a fire in a commercial property in The Struet, Brecon. Fire service were at the scene, and confirmed there were no suspicious circumstances. No one was injured."