A WOMAN has expressed fears for her elderly parents’ safety, triggered by recent street lighting changes throughout Copeland.

A resident of Thornton Road, Whitehaven, who did not want to be named, is desperate for the new LED lights in the town to be re-evaluated, due to the reduced brightness forcing her 93-year-old mother to stay indoors at night.

The poor visibility even caused the woman herself to fall and cut her hand as she was crossing the road earlier this month.

The concerned resident has written to Cumbria County Council, asking them to address the issue, as she feels the new lighting falls short of British Standard 5489 – the guidance for sufficient lighting that must be followed by law.

She explained: “The problem is that the light doesn’t shine enough across – you get maybe a few metres of light and then a large area of darkness.

“We are constantly tripping over the kerb, and when we’re driving, we are unable to see anyone stepping off the pavement as the area is in darkness.”

She commented on how the reduced lighting is affecting her family, and said: “In the winter, the change in light level will make her unable to go out at night – she’s scared she will be mugged or fall over because the lighting is so poor.”

Although The Whitehaven woman first contacted the council in July about the issue, she is yet to receive an answer that she trusts.

“[Council employees] seem to tell me different things, or change their story when challenged – this kind of behaviour does not make me trust anything they say,” she said.

“The poor light problem appears to be the case all over Whitehaven, and maybe Cumbria.

“All I want is for me and my family to feel safe in the town I have lived all my life.”

A spokesman for Cumbria County Council confirmed that they are aware of the resident's concerns, and are in direct contact with her about the issue.