Labour slams street light switch-off or dimming for posing road safety risk

The Labour party has claimed that a quarter of all street lights have either been turned off or dimmed at night, compared to two per cent in 2010. It warned that studies show "this leads to an increase in accidents".

It said that were Labour in Government, it would "keep motorists and pedestrians safe" by tackling "sky high" energy prices by reforming the energy market and by "giving councils multi-year budgets so they can plan ahead and invest in more efficient lighting to save money over the long-term". 

The party claimed that Labour-run authorities "are already dealing with the problem by investing in low-carbon LED lighting" to both save money and maintain lighting for motorists and pedestrians. Whilst by contrast "twice as many streetlights are being switched off in Tory areas than in Labour areas," it claimed, suggesting that the future would be "brighter with Labour".