A STREET has been plunged into darkness for more than three weeks because of faulty streetlights.

Lights in New Waverley Road, Noak Bridge, won’t turn on because of recent heavy rain and flooding, which has caused an electrical fault.

Residents fear there could be an accident if the problem is not sorted out.

They have contacted Essex County Council on numerous occasions, but the lights remain out of order.

Resident Renee Miller, 77, said: “Me and my neighbours have all been in touch with the council, but we keep getting fobbed off. It has told us it’s an electrical fault, but I don’t understand how it can take three weeks to fix it.

“Nothing is getting done.

“I got dropped off by a taxi at about 6pm the other night and I nearly fell over as I was getting out because it’s so dark.

“There are a lot of elderly people living around here and they’re petrified to go out in the evenings now.

The whole road is pitch black unless someone has their living room light on.

“I heard some streetlights are staying on for the time being, but it doesn’t mean anything to us.”

Essex County Council’s controversial decision to switch off streetlights across Basildon between midnight and 5am was halted just hours before it was due to start two weeks ago.

It was pushed back until further notice after the decision was called in, meaning it will have to be reconsidered.

Engineers are set to repair the lights in New Waverley Road next Monday – a month after they went out.

A spokesman for highways at Essex County Council said: “Essex Highways carried out a site investigation of the streetlights in this location on January 24 and found, due to the exceptional high levels of prolonged rainfall currently being experienced in the county, electrical faults have occurred with a number of the streetlights in this area.

“Essex Highways has arranged for repairs to take place from February 17.”