PARENTS and children have been warned of the dangers of playing near power lines as the school holidays begin.

Ball games, drones and the new phenomenon of Pokemon Go all risk power cuts and personal harm.

Southern Electric Power Distribution is asking people not to play near equipment or substatons in case objects come into contact with live wires.

If such an accident occurs, you should step back and call the company's 24 hour emergency line on 0800 0727282.

Chris Slingsby, SEPD’s Head of Customer Operations, said: “From the outside, our substations are quite innocent looking but don’t let that fool you: inside there is a lot of equipment that can be very dangerous.

“If your football, cricket ball, drone or Frisbee ends up inside our substation, please don’t go in after it. If you do, you run the risk of an electric shock which can leave you with some serious burns, you may even lose a limb or even worse, you could be killed."

SEPD has also advised not to pitch a tent, fly kites or go fishing too close to electricity lines.