BROKEN streetlights have been out of action for three years, leaving fearful residents living in “total darkness”.

Half a dozen lampposts in Turner Close in Laindon, are defective, despite desperate pleas from homeowners to get them fixed.

This comes after it was revealed 20 streetlights are all broken on Great Gregorie and Ardleigh.

David Barnes, who is among those who live in the 30 or so homes in the road, raised concerns that residents will either trip over broken pavements or be badly hurt by overgrown thorn bushes in the darkness.

The 56-year-old said: “It’s been like it for years. It’s really dangerous, it’s just allowing criminal activity to go unnoticed.

“People are getting more and more angry that nothing is being done about it.

“We’ve had councillors down here to check it out, and still nothing is done.”

Read more >> Dozens of broken lampposts leave streets in 'complete blackout'

The normal way to report broken streetlights is to report them through Essex County Council’s website, but this isn’t possible.

“It seems like they just don’t exist”, Mr Barnes added.

He continued: “We’ve given up trying to report it, the little black dots where they’re supposed to be on the website just aren’t there.

“It’s so frustrating, it’s the only way we can report them.”

In 2019, Basildon Council campaigned to get the borough’s street lights switched on overnight, and were successful.

However the streetlights in Turner Close have not worked since then.

Mr Barnes pleaded for the issue to be sorted out at the time, but it “fell on deaf ears”.

The lights on Great Gregorie and Ardleigh, are due to be fixed shortly, Essex County Council insisted.

The problem was caused by a UK Power Network issue.

Mr Barnes also claimed that several lights in the nearby Markhams Chase play area do not work either.

He added: “There’s overgrown thorn bushes nearby to Turner Close that stick right out into the pavement and footpaths because they haven’t been maintained.

“The pavements are a mess too.

“The Five Links estate hasn’t had the right and proper investment for years.”

Essex County Council was contacted for comment over the issue.