Duncan Lewis

A PETITION signed by more than 900 people has seen some streetlights switched back on overnight in a village.

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Welham Green resident Duncan Lewis had around £600 worth of goods stolen from his vehicle at the beginning of the blackout in July.

Infuriated with what he believed was a sign of crime on the increase, he took matters into his own hands and crusaded to get the lights switched back on, between midnight and 6am, across the area.

Some 921 people signed his petition, which he handed across to Herts Highways in December, and this week he told the WHT how he was celebrating a “little victory” as some 14 lights have been put back on across the village.

The Puttocks Drive man said: “It shows you if anyone has got a problem, you have to keep on pressing to get what you want.

“Admittedly we haven’t got all of the lights back on in Herts but I think it’s been quite a success, so it’s a little victory.

“Hopefully other people will start objecting when they see it’s worthwhile.”

A county council spokeswoman said each individual light was assessed in consultation with the police and local member.

She added 20 to 40 per cent were being left on all night, but out of the 34,000 switched-off lights only a “very limited number” had been converted back to full night operation, due to police operational reasons.

Cllr Stuart Pile added as a result of the switch-on the problems had now gone.