Paint row over bid to dim light

An electric company came up with a "cheap and cheerful" way of cutting light pollution in a Shropshire street - painting over a street lamp.

When a resident in Mulberry Close, Church Aston, complained about the light keeping her awake at night they expected E-On to remove it.

And councillors came up with an even better solution - changing the bulb so the lamp shone straight down, rather than through people's windows.

However, last week an E-On team turned up, cans of black paint in hand, ready to tackle the problem the simple way.

Disappointed, the resident made a quick call to Andrew O'Connor, Church Aston Parish Council chairman, who was able to send the engineers-turned-decorators packing.

"It is just comical," he said. "We expect them to re-fit the light and not to turn up with a tin of black paint and some brushes. It is just cost-cutting gone mad."

Mr O'Connor said he had hoped E-On was coming to improve the light, not cover it up altogether.

"A resident contacted us to say she was having the light from a lamp post come in through her bedroom window and it was keeping her up," he said.

"We are involved in a process of re-fitting all the lamp posts in the area with modern lights which shine down onto the pavement and not in a complete circle.

"After much badgering from the clerk and myself E-On finally agreed to carry out the work required.

"However, I then received the call from the resident saying a team had turned up with black paint."

E-On has now agreed to re-fit the lamp.

Jonathan Smith, from the company, said it was not originally aware of the request to change the bulb.

"All we had was a letter from the parish council asking us to prevent the light from getting into the windows of the house," he said.

"Painting the lamp is a cheap and cheerful way of doing this. We have now been in contact with the council and will carry out the work requested."

By Dave West