Street lights fail to turn on five nights in a row in a part of South Shields

Since Friday, Bob Growcott say people are being forced to walk through Brigham Place and Stanhope Street with very little or no lighting to guide them.

The former councillor says he raised the issue with South Tyneside Council on Monday.

However, the lights were still out on Tuesday.

Mr Growcott, who is secretary of the Brigham and Cowan Social Club, in Mile End Road, said: “We have had no street lighting for the past five days now and people are having to walk about in complete darkness.

“We know workmen were up here doing some work in the area on Friday and since then the lights have not been working in Brigham Place and Stanhope Street. And those are the streets that I know of.

“I phoned the council first thing on Monday and I was told they would look at it as a priority, but the lights were still out on Tuesday night.”

Mr Growcott says he is concerned for the safety of people using the streets at night and is calling on the council to rectify the problem sooner rather than later before someone is hurt.

He added: “It’s just disgraceful, it’s worse than the blackout up here.

“The rates up here are so high but yet we can’t even get any street lighting.”

“Luckily we have quite powerful lighting outside the club which helps a bit, otherwise it would just be a disaster.

“We have a police report which says there are people sleeping rough in the area and asking us to pass on information to the police - but how can we when the place is in darkness.

“Something needs to be done sooner rather than later before someone is hurt.”

No one was available for comment from the council.