SAFETY is being put at risk because 20 street lights have not been fixed for more than six months, it is claimed.

The street lights in Goldhanger Road, Heybridge between the Wharf Road and Osea Road junctions have not worked since March this year.

The road is the main passage for commuters to Maldon from Goldhanger, Tollesbury and Tolleshunt D’arcy.

Liz Mason, owner of the Mill Beach pub on Goldhanger Road, said the lack of lighting endangered her customers.

She said: “There is absolutely no lighting down the road, so when people walk home from us after spending the evening here it’s incredibly hazardous.

“There was one incident several weeks ago where one of my customers was walking back towards Maldon when he had to avoid an oncoming car, but because there was no light he didn’t see the ditch next to him, so he fell and broke his leg.

“It’s bad enough the drivers thunder down the road so much, yet with no lights it makes it even more dangerous. Being without light for months is truly terrible.”

Heybridge resident Rob Beetch works as a garbage loader which includes pick-ups on the road. He said: “We’re loading up along that road at 7.30am, and now the nights are draw- ing in it’s even darker, and people come flying down the road with no care whatsoever.

“There’s so many blind bends, anyone who’s walking to and from Maldon down there don’t have a chance in the dark. There aren’t even any footpaths to walk on.

“There’s caravan parks down there with kids wanting to cross the road, and without fail there is some kind of crash or accident nearly every week.”

A spokesman for UK Power Networks said the delayed work should have been completed on Thursday.

He said: “We would like to apologise to customers for the delay in fixing the street lights in Goldhanger Road, Heybridge. We needed to arrange traffic management involving two-way traffic lights on the 60mph road and unfortunately this was not arranged as quickly as it should have been.”