AN investigation is under way to establish what caused a pavement in Innerleithen to explode this week.

Emergency services rushed to the High Street following the blast at just after 5pm on Tuesday.

Passers-by reported a loud underground bang opposite the St Ronan's Hotel as well as flames and smoke appearing from a manhole.

One resident told us: "There was an almighty bang just outside the Scotlight shop and you could see fire coming from the hole.

"It was really lucky that nobody was next to it."

Over the past five years there has been an increase in the number of similar pavement-exploding incidents.

In London there have been 80 reports in the past five years with several causing injuries to passers-by.

Almost all were caused by water seeping into underground electrical junction boxes.

The Health and Safety Executive have still to establish the exact cause of this week's Innerleithen explosion.

But engineers from Scottish Power confirmed they had to repair a blown junction box once the flames had been extinguished.

Several dozen properties were left without electricity following the incident.

A spokesman for the utility provider told the Peeblesshire News: "A number of customers were affected but everyone was eventually reconnected by the early hours of Wednesday.

"A fault in the junction box was responsible and further work will be carried out.

"We would like to apologise to our customers for the inconvenience."

Local firefighters from the Innerleithen station fought the underground flames before engineers arrived.

And officers from Police Scotland cordoned off the immediate area and diverted traffic

Innerleithen High Street was opened to two-way traffic again from 7pm.

Throughout Wednesday, a team from Scottish Borders Council carried out repairs to the pavement.