Get an electrician in, Cutting the plug off, means you will need to hard wire the lights to the switch, which would need to be done via an outlet, Depending on the plug that was on, you may have been able to have a light socket fitted, to plug it into, connected to your dimmer, IF your dimmer switch can take the load, IF it cannot take the load, Fire. You are going into a very dangerous area, It is illegal to modify house wiring, except by approved contractors, For the simple reason, it can cause a fire. Get some one in, or get a new plug fitted to the unit, and plug into a socket, dont forget to put a suitable fuse in the plug top. A 13A fuse is no good for lights, you need a 3A or 5A depending on the system. Again, using a 13A fuse could cause a fire.
SD, July 2011