A STRETCH of road has been branded as extremely dangerous by residents and councillors as streetlights have been out for more than four months.

Ashingdon Road, in Rochford, has been “dangerously” dark since September of last year when the streetlights went out and they have yet to be fixed by the county council.

Rochford District councillor for Hawkwell East Mike Webb is on a mission to get the lights back on.

He said: “The lights have been out since at least October and it has been reported to the council numerous times now.

“The road is very dark after sundown and this is making it very dangerous because there are several busy junctions on that stretch.”

Runners and cyclists have reported that it is difficult to see and therefore hazardous to travel down when they are out.

Bev Wall, who lives in the road, said: “I reported it several times to the county council and was told the lights could be out for up to 25 days.

“You can’t see anyone walking or cycling and it’s also a speeding hotspot. I may not even be able to walk my dog after dark because it is too dangerous. This is just an accident waiting to happen.”

Emily Frost shared her concerns with fellow residents on Facebook, adding: “As a pedestrian, I could not see a thing from the bus stop by Roche Avenue at 6am. I couldn’t see a thing and people couldn’t see me. It is so dangerous without lights.”

Mr Webb added: “I got in touch with the council and was told it would be fixed at some point in January. They advised me that traffic management would be required as it is on a busy road and that it would have to be done mostly at night because of this.

“I then shared this with my residents on Facebook but now that date has been and gone. The council told me they couldn’t fit it into their schedule of works.

“That is frustrating not just for me but for everybody affected by it. It has been reported by so many people and nothing has been done.”

A spokesperson for Essex County Council’s Highways department said: “A fault has been found in the power supply cable.

“We are working with our contractors to make the repairs as quickly as possible to get these lights working.”