BELCO yesterday asked people to trim trees on their property in advance of hurricane season to cut down on the risk of power failures.

The move came after this week’s high winds caused outages, including problems when trees came into contact with overhead lines.

A spokeswoman for BELCO said: “As vegetation is especially lush this spring, BELCO wishes to remind property owners that now is the time to trim trees and other foliage, so that they are at least ten feet away from overhead lines.”

She added that the work should be done before the official start of hurricane season on June 1.

The spokeswoman said that householders with foliage that overhangs power lines should contact BELCO at least a week before trimming starts so nearby lines can be shut down so work can be carried out safely.

She added that, while property owners are responsible for foliage on their property, BELCO looks after cutting work along mainline circuits and employs professionals to carry out the work.