The City Centre Company in Coventry is bringing power to the people.

A subterranean cable is being laid from Smithford Way through Market Way to Shelton Square to provide power points for use at the numerous open-air events held in the city centre.

Mark Nicholls, assistant head of City Centre Management says:

"Work is underway and hopefully will be complete in time for the Christmas events in the city centre. We apologise for any inconvenience to shoppers and visitors while the work is in progress.

"Power will be run to strategic places from Smithford Way to Shelton Square so that electricity will be on tap for festivals, bands, fetes and so on.

"In the past we have used various means of getting power to events, often by routing cables through the trees and using sockets in galvanised boxes.

"This way will be much neater and safer. Power will be run underground to cast iron bloods which will be sited in line with benches and other street furniture so that they cause no obstruction."

There will be nineteen bollards, painted black with gold edging in the style of the directional finger posts that can be seen in all areas of the city centre.

Contractors are laying a second duct in the trench so that data cables can be fed through if needed at some time in the future. The whole project is costing around £50,000.