Ellesmere street lights switch-off crime claims dismissed

Council officials have hit back at claims crime will increase if lighting is switched off in Ellesmere.

Shropshire Council wants to pilot a scheme which would see certain street lights in the town turned off between midnight and 5.30am as part of cost-cutting measures.

But at Monday night's Ellesmere Town Council meeting members said they could no longer support the plans after police raised serious concerns with them. Constable Paul Crump, local police officer for Ellesmere, warned that switching off lights would increase crime.

But Simon Jones, Shropshire Council cabinet member for transport, said today said there was no evidence to suggest that crime increases when lights are switched off between midnight and 5.30am and would talk to councillors about their concerns.

At Monday night's meeting councillors raised concerns that Shropshire Council would push ahead with the trial even if it didn't have the backing of the town council.

Members agreed to contact the unitary council, saying they would no longer support the scheme after hearing the concerns raised by Constable Crump.

But Councillor Jones said: "There is no evidence to suggest that crime increases when lights are switched off between midnight and 5.30am, and indeed the evidence is crime often falls in areas where lights are switched off in the middle of the night.

"Any areas considered to have a higher crime rate will not be included and we will be talking to parish and town councils in detail about the lights which are suitable for part-night lighting and which are not."

The scheme would incorporate 280 lights owned by Shropshire Council and Ellesmere Town Council and is part of a drive by Shropshire Council to save £240,000 a year.