Updated: West Side road closed after fire

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A West Side road has been closed due to a fire on a hydro pole.

Shetland Islands Council says the The A971 road, west of Bridge of Walls, has been closed at the Brunatwatt junction.

Fire crews are currently dealing with a fire on a power line beside the road to Sandness, beyond the Brunatwatt junction.

With concerns about the stability of the hydro pole, a decision has been made to close the road to through-traffic until the pole is made safe or replaced, and power has been restored to properties in the area.

The work is expected to take several hours.

The road closure may remain in place until late this evening [Saturday].

In the meantime, the diversionary route to and from Sandness is via Walls and the Dale of Walls, an additional distance of around six miles.

The fire meant power was lost to 136 customers in Sandness and the surrounding area.

Energy company SSE was contacted by the fire service about the incident shortly before 3pm today [Saturday].

No up-date has been provided on the cause of the fire, with engineers prioritising the job of restoring power to those customers who have lost their supply.

It is hoped power will be fully restored by 9.30pm tonight.