BANJUL, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Police used tear gas to disperse protesters who gathered overnight in multiple locations in Gambia, including near President Adama Barrow's official residence, to denounce what they described as prolonged power cuts, residents and a Reuters witness said.

In and around the capital Banjul, protesters burned tyres in the street and erected barricades, shouting "Barrow must go!" as plumes of smoke filled the air, the Reuters witness said.

The West African nation's electricity issues -- with some residents reporting blackouts lasting up to 48 hours -- come ahead of a presidential election expected in December in which Barrow is seeking a third term.

In a sign of growing frustration with the government, protesters in the town of Farato gathered outside the residence of Vice President Mohammed B.S. Jallow and destroyed banners at an office of the ruling National People's Party.

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"I know that the fans have stopped turning, children work in the dark, mothers throw away stale food, and the heat is unbearable by day and by night," Barrow said in a televised address to the nation late on Tuesday.

He said electricity demand was at record levels, with major units failing and seasonal conditions cutting hydropower production.

Officials are "working relentlessly to restore stability and improve the reliability of electricity supply as soon as possible," Gambia's information minister, Ismaila Ceesay, said in a statement earlier that described the events of the previous night as "deeply disconcerting".

Ceesay...