THE Town Council has vowed to support a bid to end the street light switch-off in Halstead.

Residents have launched a petition calling for the lights to be switched back on after becoming fed up of the enforced blackout.

In March 2014 Essex County Council introduced the part night street lighting scheme which sees about seven in 10 lights in Essex switched off between 1am and 5am.

Halstead’s recent town survey saw a number of residents highlight the lack of street lighting.

The council received a letter and 600-name petition from resident Karl Bruen, requesting that the decision is reversed.

The town council has now said it will present the petition, as well as details from the survey, to Braintree Council and then County Hall in an attempt to convince them to turn the lights back on.

Mr Bruen said: “It is fantastic that the community has the support and backing of the town council.

“If the town council chose not to support us, then it could have stopped us completely in our tracks.

“But with their backing we can move forward now and hopefully the street lights will be turned back on.

"More people are signing the petition's every day, there is still a lot of momentum behind this. 

"It is very clear that the community still want the lights turned back on."

In a statement the council said: “There has been an inevitable link made by the community between the lights being turned off, the lack of a police presence and the rise in crime locally.

“Halstead Town Council is sympathetic to that view, although studies by Essex County Council have stated that there has been found no direct link between the turning off of street lights and a rise in crime.

"In view of the community’s perception of the increased risk of burglary and other crime, Halstead Town Council is happy to support the petition.”