A SCHEME to replace street lights with energy-efficient LED bulbs will do nothing to ease Canvey’s crime problems, campaigners believe.

Essex County Council announced last week it would install thousands of LED lights in south Essex.

But the scheme will only be rolled out in areas where lights are kept on throughout the night, meaning the county’s part-night lighting policy will be unaffected.

Dave Blackwell, leader of Canvey Independent Party, said: “I have been campaigning to get all street lights switched on all night on the island since they were turned off.

“I think the county council is risking people’s safety to make a saving.

“They have told us that by turning off the lights they are saving £1million a year and that’s peanuts to them.

“I think that if the county council replaced all the street lights on Canvey with LED bulbs they would still make a saving and we would have street lights.

“There are still going to be a lot of very dark areas and places on Canvey as there are not many lights that are switched on all night on the island.”

Amanda Cooper, 48, has launched a petition calling for lights to be kept on all night following a spate of violent crimes on Canvey, including a double shooting in Somnes Avenue earlier this month.

She said: “There are not many lights that are on all night on Canvey at the moment and we definitely do need more switched on.

“If we had more street lights switched on all night on the island that there would be less crime and we have seen so many crimes and bad incidents taking place recently.

“People living on Canvey are now too frightened to leave their homes after night and the concern is that as there are no street lights criminals can get up to whatever they like after dark.”

Essex County Council will replace 5,800 lights in Basildon, Castle Point and Rochford.

Eddie Johnson, Tory councillor responsible for highways and transport, said: “We are focusing this rollout on lighting that currently remains on throughout the night to ensure the largest and quickest financial return for the taxpayer.

“LED street lights cost less to run, require less maintenance and create a brighter light on the highway.

“A significant proportion of this scheme has been forward-funded through an interest-free Government loan as recognition of the environmental and financial benefits of this project.”