Faulty lights upset residents

RESIDENTS in Grove Road, Beccles, claim they have been left in the dark after a council failed to fix an entire row of lampposts that have been faulty for weeks.

The lampposts that run from the top of Grove Road to the level crossing have been completely out since Thursday, and had been flickering on and off for nearly two weeks before that.

Residents George Mulcairn and Jo Bradley tried calling Suffolk County Council, who is responsible for the lights, but say they have been unable to get an answer about when they might be fixed.

“Surely in this day and age it doesn't take more than three weeks to sort some lights out,” said Mr Mulcairn, who is retired. “They were going on and off like Blackpool illuminations. They were flickering, then they went off for 20 or 30 seconds. Since Thursday it's been completely pitch black.

“No one's even said we'll have someone there in x amount of days. You're wasting your time and money when you call up. What's the point in having that number to call if it's not for them to sort out? What do we pay our rates for?”

And Jo Bradley, who lives a few doors up from George and is also retired, said that the lack of street lamps is making Grove Road very dangerous for pedestrians. “We've got a level crossing here and it's a school run for children,” she said. “They're going to be in darkness when they come home. And it's also the way people walk back from the pub on Friday and Saturday nights, you could get all sorts of problems.

“Now it's gone partly one way the traffic has got quicker. Round these corners you can't see a thing.”

A spokesman for Suffolk County Council confirmed yesterday afternoon that it was a power supply problem, but admitted that the council were also responsible for the lampposts.

Yesterday afternoon the spokesman said that the lampposts should be on by the evening: “There were power supply problems and we have contacted the supplier to have a look at the problem. The lampposts themselves are in perfect working order.

“We are totally responsible for it and we apologise to anyone who uses Grove Road. We will look at the customer service aspect to see if there is anything we can do.”