COMPLAINTS have been made about the new upgraded street lights in Swindon - but not for the reason you might expect.

Swindon Borough Council is gradually replacing 28,000 amber lights around town with energy-efficient white LED bulbs in a scheme which has cost £7.2 million but will save money in the long-term.

When they were first being rolled out, some neighbours complained about the bright glare shining into their homes and keeping them awake at night, with one comparing it to being like the County Ground.

In areas where this is flagged up as an issue, the council can dim or alter the range of the new lights to stop it happening. Now, more complaints have come in for the exact opposite reason - some streets where the lights have been installed are too dark.

One corner of Riverdale Close is left pitch black after the sun goes down, as is a patch of Glendale Close down the road.

A concerned elderly neighbour who did not give his name told the Adver: “We have 14 lights in the street, they were changed a few weeks ago, they were on for two days then 12 went out.

“It’s like being in the 18th century, it’s complete darkness, I don’t feel safe, a lot of the old people around here don’t feel safe. I’ve reported the problem to the council several times and got told they were investigating but nothing was done.”

When the Adver visited the street, a few lights were out but not as many as suggested.

A Swindon Borough Council spokesman said: “We are aware some LED street lights which were successfully installed are no longer working in some streets just off Croft Road. This has been caused by a fault with the underground electricity supply in the area.

“SSE is aware of the issue and we expect the problem to be fixed early next month. The LED upgrade scheme is a borough-wide project which will see most of the old street lights replaced with new, energy efficient and brighter LEDs. As of today, the contractor has replaced 18,452 lights across the town.

“We would like to remind you that if there is a fault with a street lights or you would like it to be dimmed, go to https://bit.ly/3CzDyV0”

The annual cost for street lighting energy is currently over £1.3m. The upgrade will save the local authority approximately £800,000 per year.