Street lights to stay on during festive period

Street lights normally turned off overnight will stay switched on over Christmas and New Year to "help keep residents safe", a council has said.

About 70% of Essex County Council's lighting is turned off between 01:00 and 05:00 to save money and reduce carbon emissions, but this is to be paused until 1 January.

Cabinet member for highways Tom Cunningham said the authority wanted "everyone in Essex to feel safe when out celebrating during the festive season".

"Keeping street lights on all night and ensuring our teams are ready to respond to severe weather reflects our commitment to residents," he added.

The council said highways crews would remain on call throughout the festive period to respond to severe weather conditions "as needed".

Some district councils in Essex had chosen to pay to keep their lights on for longer, and these areas will be unaffected by the county council's temporary changes.

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