WOMEN walking on a street where the lights have not been working since last week are at risk of being attacked, according to a concerned resident.

The apparent lack of communication between the council and an electricity company has meant that a significant part of Burnham Road, Chingford, has been in pitch darkness since Thursday (January 13).

Christine Knowlden, 56, a resident on the road said: “If I have to leave my house early in the morning I have trouble seeing clearly to lock my doors.

“To be honest with you, I am terrified of walking to and from my house to my car, when it is dark.

“I think it is particularly dangerous for women who have to walk up the road to Chingford Mount to take public transport.

“There are a lot of places on the road where people can hide and jump out from if they want to and there are also a lot of elderly people on my road who could slip if they can’t see properly.”

She said her neighbour called the council on Friday morning and she phoned the next day when nothing was done.

She said she was told the problem was caused by an electrical fault which had been reported to EDF, the electricity company.

But the council now says it has no record of the problem being reported.

She then called EDF and was told it had no record of the report and could not do anything until the council registered the problem, because the lights were the reponsibility of the local authority.

UK Power Networks, who have been managing electricity distribution to lamp posts in the area since it bought the networks from EDF last October, said it was finally informed of the fault today.

A spokeswoman said: “We have today received a request from the council to investigate a fault affecting up to 10 streetlights in Burnham Road near the junction of York Road.

"This work has been prioritised to be carried out by our contractors as soon as possible."

The Guardian is awaiting a comment from the council.

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