A RESIDENT and would-be politican claim to have dreamt up an ingenius way for County Hall to stop money being wasted.

The duo are calling for Essex County Council to "dim lights during the day" amid claims some streetlights are being left ON during the day by the authority which turns them off at night to save cash.

Bill Vernon, from Bellfield, Vange, and David Burton-Sampson, Labour's candidate for Pitsea South East ward for the May local elections, say the "blunder" means cash that could be used to keep them on at night is being wasted by day.

The row over part-night lighting rumbles on after County Hall last week agreed to a one hour reduction in the midnight to 5am black out, meaning it now starts at 1am, excluding on Sundays.

Braintree and Witham Times: Winchester Road residents say they were left in darkness.

Get 'em on: David Burton-Sampson and Bill Vernon want money to identify cash to fund lifting the 1am to 5am blackout...

Braintree and Witham Times:

Get 'em off:...by ensuring all lights are off during daylight to save money

The county council brought the overnight switch off in during 2013 to save more than £1million in electrcity bills a year.

Now resident Bill Vernon has claimed lighting is left on in day light hours and branded this "adding insult to injury".

Basildon Labour group is now campaigning to get the authority to ensure all lights left on by day are turned off so the cash saved can be ploughed back into keeping them on at night.

Braintree and Witham Times: No upsurge in crime since Watford street light swtich-off, say police

Black out: Could idea bring an end to this?

Mr Burton-Sampson said: "On a small section of an estate in Pitsea South East I counted four street lights switched on in three roads at 11am.

"I then observed multiple lights switched on while travelling through other parts of the town. On Southernhay in the town centre there were no less than 12 streetlights turned on at 1pm.

Braintree and Witham Times:

Daylight: This light has been on permanently since 2003, says Mr Vernon

"It was not just the streetlights that were unnecessarily illuminated, numerous road signs had their lights on too.”

Mr Vernon, who has complained about a light being on outside his home permanently since he moved there in 2003, said: "This adds insult to injury now the council have turned the lights out at night to save money.”