ELDERLY residents were left in the dark after having no street lighting for nearly a month.

People living in Jenny Lind Close, Moses Gate, say they had to put up with a ‘hazardous’ lack of visibility in the late afternoons and evenings.

Housing provider Mosscare St Vincent’s has now restored the lighting, but residents say the work was long overdue.

Ernest Cornwell said: “I can remember being in the blackouts in the war and was as bad as that. At the back of our houses is the main railway line, so there was no back-light to light anything up it was just black.

“You had to be very, very careful indeed — it was hazardous.”

The 86-year-old, who suffers with the lung condition COPD, says all his neighbours are aged over 65 and have health issues.

He added that the blackout deterred them from going out during the afternoons and evenings.“You could really do with a torch when you went out at night, it’s was as bad as that,” he said.

The grandfather-of-three said he had an accident reversing his car in mid-December due to the lack of visibility and would be seeking compensation for the costs he incurred.

He added that he and his neighbours were ‘very pleased’ that the lights had been returned to working order.

But he remained unhappy they were left without lighting and had to complain on several occasions before action was taken.

“It was too long a wait, when they came it only took them a couple of hours.

All that for a month of arguing, it was absolutely ridiculous.”

A spokesperson for Mosscare St Vincent's confirmed the housing association was responsible for the street lighting in Jenny Lind Close.

They added that contractors had now attended the road and resolved the issue to residents' satisfaction.