An electricity distribution network operator has spent £130 million making the grid more resilient following Storm Desmond.

Monday marks the one-year anniversary of the storm, which saw power failures across Northern England.

More than 50,000 households and businesses were left without power when distributor substations, including those of Electricity North West (ENW), were flooded and power lines were torn down by falling trees.

Since then, underground cables have been upgraded at a cost of £15.4 million, £7.7 million was spent on overhead power lines and 505 miles of trees were cut down to avoid damaging the grid if they fell.

Flood defences have also been installed in Lancaster, Rochdale and Carlisle.

The company has also set up a direct helpline for customers to call in the event of a power outage so they can get advice and help quickly.

Last week, 18,000 customers across the region saw power cuts again as a result of severe weather, although ENW engineers were able to restore the majority of homes with electricity within a few hours.