Calls for a stop to Bingham street lights blackout
Five hundred people have signed a petition calling for the end to the switching off of street lights in a Nottinghamshire town.
More than 1,000 street lights in Bingham have been turned off between midnight and 05:30 since May, as part of cost-cutting measures.
Bingham resident Fiona Benning said people were left feeling vulnerable.
Nottinghamshire County Councillor Richard Jackson said the authority was listening to feedback.
The council plans to alter more than 90,000 lights across Nottinghamshire over the next four years.
The project involves turning off many street lights overnight in residential areas, dimming some on main roads between 22:00 and 07:00 and switching some off entirely in remote areas.
Ms Benning, who started the Bingham petition, said: "People are very upset about it. If you are walking home at night and the lights go off you feel vulnerable.
"Two young girls I spoke to who work in a local bar have to walk to the other end of town after their shifts finish. Before they get home the lights go out on them and they are left in total darkness and they said they felt frightened."
Mr Jackson said the switch-off programme was being constantly reviewed.
He said: "We've learnt as we've gone along. We have amended some things, we've turned some of the lights back on after feedback and we will continue to review the programme."
Nottinghamshire County Council says it needs to make savings of £150m in four years.
"This saves us about £1.25m a year, every year and it reduces our carbon output as well," Mr Jackson said.