ESSEX County Council plans to switch off street lights across the county to save on energy bills, but in one street the authority left two lights on permanently for six months.
Last week the Chronicle revealed how the council had launched a public consultation into its proposals to switch off the lights between midnight and 5am in Chelmsford, South Woodham Ferrers, Braintree, Witham and the surrounding villages after a successful trial in the Maldon and Dunmow districts.
"When I saw the headline in last week's Chronicle it was like a red rag to a bull," said Susan Bryant, 61, who lives in Laburnum Way, Witham.
"Back in April workmen carried out maintenance on the lights, but after they left they just stayed on all day and all night.
"I left it a week and the lights were still on 24/7, so I rang Essex County Council and they said, 'oh it's nothing to do with us'.
"So I rang the Highways Agency and it turns out my neighbour was also ringing the council, unbeknown to us.
"My husband Ian also phoned them and they said they were waiting for a part to fix the problem."
But after six months of blazing lights the couple last week became so frustrated they contacted MP Priti Patel.
She responded in a letter saying she would get in touch with council chief executive Joanna Killian about the issue.
"They can afford to have two lights on all the time and then have the cheek to say they are going to turn the lot off," said Mrs Bryant.
"I just thought I'm not having this."
But after the Chronicle made a phone call to Essex County Council about the lights, both were suddenly turned off.
"We were walking down the road on Saturday and we thought there was something different," said Mrs Bryant.
"Then we realised that the lights were off. Umpteen phone calls from me and there was nothing, then one phone call from the Chronicle and it was sorted.
"Obviously there's a switch somewhere that somebody forgot to switch off."
Essex County Council were unavailable for comment.
To have your say on the blackout consultation go to www.essex.gov.uk/
