CASTLE Point Council will write to the county council, demanding it turns streetlights back on after a series of armed robberies.

Councillors unanimously agreed the measure after police and crime commissioner Nick Alston revealed in the Echo that some officers were struggling to do their jobs in the dark.

Martin Tucker, Canvey Island Independent Party councillor for Canvey North, said: “At the moment a lot of people, on Canvey in particular, are very worried and a little bit frightened. It’s not that there are more robberies, it’s that the robberies are going on with weapons.

“Sooner or later, if they are dummy guns or real guns, if they are short knives or long knives, someone may get injured.”

Despite lights staying on for an extra hour each night from tonight and the county council agreeing to include Castle Point in a trial of low-energy LED streetlights, which would allow them to be kept on all night, the council also asked officers to look for funding to pay to keep them on, should the trail fail.

Rodney Bass, Essex county councillor responsible for highways and transportation, said: “Having listened carefully to people’s views on part night lighting, we responded this week by finetuning the policy so that the streetlights will remain on for an extra hour six days a week.

“We will continue to work closely with Essex Police on all aspects of the part night lighting scheme.”