Street lamps across Colchester are being replaced by environmentally-friendly alternatives in an effort to reduce the town’s carbon footprint.

Since the beginning of May, around 800 old streetlights have been replaced every week by LED (light emitting diode) lights, which are almost twice as efficient as the incandescent light bulbs.

Although some 45,000 streetlights have already been substituted for the greener LED counterpart, there are plans to complete another 27,000 replacements by the end of March.

It is estimated that each and every street lamp in Essex will be powered by LED lanterns by 2024, saving thousands of tonnes of carbon each year.

The LED replacements should also be more cost-effective, with projections forecasting £40 million worth of savings over the next 25 years due LED lights’ longer lifespan.