Councillor sees red as 'Wrekin Beacon' fails to light up

A Shropshire councillor is seeing red because he says the 'Wrekin Beacon' has not been lit up for weeks.

Residents campaigned for years to get the beacon reinstated on the Wrekin but borough and Wellington councillor Miles Hosken says he is 'disgusted' that it has not been lit for weeks.

Councillor Hosken said people had mounted a huge campaign to get the beacon brought back in 2000 and did not expect it to be left unlit for so long.

The light is visible for miles around on top of the main mast of The Wrekin transmitting station, used for broadcasting and telecommunications.

The beacon emits a red pulse of light every few seconds at night.

Councillor Hosken said everyone was overjoyed when the beacon was put up to celebrate the Millennium but residents were complaining that it 'had gone out for the past few weeks'.

He said: "For some unknown reason it's gone out and the lights must go back on.

"It's ours, it's part of our history of the area."

"We want it back. It is traditionally there and was put back because of the fight and because of our concerns. We want to know why it has gone out.

"It is part of the heritage of the area and the residents want it back."

Arqiva, a communications infrastructure and media services company, is responsible for the beacon.

Bruce Randall, for the firm, said the beacon fault had been reported.

"We will attend to it as soon as possible.

Any work at the top of the tower requires forward planning to minimise disruption to transmissions and may of course be weather dependent.

"These lights are not required for civil aviation," he added.

Councillor Hosken said: "We want the beacon back because it's ours, it's famous and we fought for it."

Historically a beacon has stood on the summit of the Wrekin since at least Tudor times and was one of the beacons that warned of the approaching Spanish Armada.

A beacon was also erected during World War II,

However in the years after the war it fell into disrepair.

The current beacon was erected in 2000 to celebrate the Millennium.