Dorset County Council's street light switch-off scheme has angered residents
Dorset residents are campaigning against the council's controversial decision to turn off street lights in the area.Members of the community are concerned that the lack of street lighting will result in higher crime rates.
At a recent meeting,locals decided to appeal against the council's decision.It was agreed by the majority that a petition and a case would be developed.
A total of 42,000 street lights in Littlemoor,a suburb of Weymouth,are currently switched off between midnight and 5.30am.Dorset County Council went ahead with the switch-off plan after deciding to reduce the budget for street lighting by ten per cent.
Speaking to the Dorset Echo,chairman of the Littlemoor Synergy Housing Neighbourhood Panel Jan Hinton said:"It is completely heart breaking.We have had elderly residents saying how frightened they are."
Another petition against the switch-off has already been signed by 150 elderly women from the neighbouring area of Westham.
County councillor Andy Cooke and borough councillors Christine James,Mark Tewkesbury and Rachel Rogers all attended the meeting.Councillor Cooke agreed to visit the area after 1am to get a better understanding of residents'concerns.
