SEARCHLIGHTS that have been illuminating the night sky over Southend are here to stay.

Southend Council has given Adventure Island and Talk nightclub retrospective permission to keep the lights, but has placed conditions on their use, restricting days and times.

The council had received complaints about the "skytracker" lights, which led it to realise both companies needed planning permission.

Planning officers recommended the lights be retrospectively refused, but the development control committee ignored their advice.

Marc Miller, operations director at the amusement park, said: "We checked with the Civil Aviation Authority and Southend Airport and they said it was fine. We didn't realise we needed permission from the council.

"We are very pleased to be able to keep the lights. It's a very positive thing.

"At the meeting we highlighted how important Adventure Island is in attracting people to the town and the searchlights and our Lights Fantastic event in September and October is part of that."

The theme park can keep its four lights and use them only on Friday and Saturday nights, within opening hours.

Talk nightclub is less happy about its conditions, which mean its two rooftop lights can only operate for two hours on a Thursday and for one hour on Fridays and Saturdays, as they must be switched off by 11pm.

Previously they were on from 10pm until 4am.

Operations director Chris Adams said: "We only open at 10pm on Friday and Saturday, so these hours are severely restricted. It has been decided without regard to the importance of the night-time economy.

"We didn't have a single complaint for a year until Philip Miller, from Adventure Island, put his lights up. He now has everything he wanted, whereas we are restricted. We are feeling hard done by."

Mr Adams said he would consider submitting a further application to seek less restrictive times.