MORE than 100 people were evacuated from a Newport cinema last night after vandals caused a power blackout.

Cineworld and McDonalds were forced to shut after lights went out at Newport retail park around 5.30pm last night.

80 commercial premises in the Queensmeadow area were left without power for at least an hour, with some in darkness for two-and-a-half hours.

A Western Power spokeswoman said vandals had caused the power cut after breaking into an electricity sub station on Clearwater Road.

A fire crew from Maindee were called to the sub station after a small fire broke out.

Officers used powder extinguishers to tackle the blaze.

The cinema on Spytty Road was one of the worst affected by the cut, having to empty the building of customers and then close it for around two hours.

Craig Holmes, the manager of the McDonald's restaurant at the site said his building was forced to shut from 5.30pm to 7pm.

He said: "There was nothing we could do, we had to totally shut as the power just went off. We obviously lost trade, but the amount is manageable."

It is understood the power cut was one of several the retail park has experienced in the last year. No private homes were affected by the blackout.