SIX months of out-of-action street lights on an estate have left a couple petrified for their own safety and pleading for action.
Virginia Wigmore, who cares for her housebound husband, claims the situation is so bad that nurses and health care assistants have told her “they don’t feel safe” visiting the home.
The 76-year-old, and her husband John, are now urging Essex County Council to re-instate the street lights directly outside their home on the Felmores Estate, Pitsea, as soon as possible.
Mrs Wigmore’s 82-year-old husband, John, is dependent on specialist care from nurses and health care assistants.
Essex County Council has stated it carried out repairs at the start of this month, however Mrs Wigmore claims the street lights directly out her home have been missed.
She said: “The estate here is in darkness. There are time when I have to call out a nurse to help my husband and although the last one did come, she had to use her phone torch to find us”
“The other thing is that you never know who’s hanging about in the dark. When I have to go out, I can’t see anything.”
Despite nurses continue to visit the home, she has been left fearing they may not reach the home in an out-of-hours emergency.
Although Essex Highways has provided assurances that the issue on the Felmores estate has been resolved, Mrs Wigmore claims only part of the estate has been re-lit and that her street is still in total darkness.
In a statement from Essex Highways, a spokesperson said: “We are aware of street lighting issues which affected parts of Felmores Estate and can confirm the fault was fixed on 4 September 2024.
“The fault was due to a complex underground cable issue, which required extensive investigations and surveys to identify the cause before repairs could be made.
“We understand the frustration and concern this may have caused residents, particularly those in vulnerable situations, and apologise for any inconvenience.”
The spokesperson also encouraged residents to get in touch if they are still experiencing issues.
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