AROUND 800 Wirral homes are still without power following last night’s hurricane-force gales.

Engineers have been working throughout the night to restore power to those cut-off during the storms, with around 1,700 houses in Wirral now reconnected.

Approximately 52,000 homes are without power across the ScottishPower network area, 2,500 of them were in Wirral.

The company said 450 field staff started the recovery operation at first light this morning.

Up to 100 additional linesmen and engineers from Scotland have been drafted in to assist the recovery.