FIRMS on a busy Huddersfield industrial estate are still without mains electricity – a month after being cut off.

The companies trading at the Colne Valley Business Park in Linthwaite have to rely on power from a hired generator.

And it is causing great concern to many of the firms who are based at the centre in a former mill complex.

They had the power cut off on September 28 by the power company, owed tens of thousands of pounds by the centre landlords, Primezone.

Since then, tenants have been paying money to hire the generator and to run it 24 hours a day.

They are using their rent money to meet the costs.

The electricity cut-off was not the first blow to the traders. Months earlier they had their gas supplies turned off in a dispute over the bills.

Caryl Middleton, who runs Valley Fires & Fireplaces on the complex, said: “It is far from ideal.

“We have had no mains power for a month and are all relying on one generator, fuelled by diesel.

“It has to be kept running 24 hours a day as many firms have fridges and freezers that need to be kept on so we can only hope it does not break down.

“The management company have said we can pay our rents into the generator fund but have not told us what is going to happen in the future.

“Some firms are already thinking of moving on because of the uncertainty.”

Janet Etherington, who runs catering firm Plus Foods, relies on the power to keep her fridges running around the clock.

She said: “It is not a good situation. It is far more expensive to run the generator than pay our electricity bills but we have no alternative.

“We have been at the park for 29 years and it is very difficult to find alternative premises suitable for a catering company. We just have to hang on in there.

“The landlords did come up two weeks ago and told us they would hopefully have it sorted but nothing has happened yet.”

The business park is set in former mill premises off Manchester Road, Linthwaite.

Primezone, which is registered in north London, is connected to a large number of estate agents registered in the same area.

No-one was available to comment on the situation at Linthwaite.