A FURIOUS homeowner says he fears someone could be mugged after trees were allowed to grow out of control and block street lighting.
Leo Appleton says there is an urgent need to remove branches which are obscuring lights on Glen Eldon Road.
He added: “The trees are so high and full the lighting from the street lamps is next to useless.
“I really fear for the people coming home after dark and walking up the street from wherever they have parked their car.”
Mr Appleton has raised the matter at St Annes Central Ward Police and Communities Together (PACT) forum and, along with the potential mugging fears, highlighted another problem caused by the low light level.
He said: “Recently, we had a theft in the street which occurred as the culprit walked down and tried car doors.
“He was apprehended but the light levels had been so low during the incident that it wasn’t possible to recognise him at a resulting line-up, which adds a further concern.
“There are a lot of good people in that road who are trying to raise the standard of the area and it’s frustrating to have a hazard on our doorsteps which is so preventable.
“As the days are getting shorter, we really need something doing about this urgently.”
County hall highways chiefs have now pledged to look into the problem as soon as possible to come up with a solution.
Sim Lane-Dixon, Lancashire County Council’s highways manager, said: “We will visit Glen Eldon Road as soon as possible to see what action we need to take to remove the branches that have been blocking the street lights.
“If the trees are on county council land, we’ll make arrangements for the branches to be cut back as quickly as possible.
“If they are on private land, we will speak to the land owners and ask them to remove them at the earliest opportunity.
“Street lights are inspected regularly to ensure they are in good working order and shrubs and trees are not blocking their light.
“However, residents can contact us at any time to report an issue.”
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