A city centre park already plagued by violent crime has been plunged into darkness because of faulty lighting.

It has sparked increased fears about using the Dane John Gardens following the failure of a row of lampposts.

They have been out of action for more than a month, with residents accusing the city and county councils of passing the buck over who is responsible.

It comes as a man was recently jailed for attempting to rape a student in the park, while two teenagers were locked up for their part in a violent gang attack.

Prof Glenn Bowman, who lectures in anthropology at the University of Kent, lives nearby and regularly walks his dog in the area.

He says he was “bounced back and forth” between the authorities when he reported the lighting problems.

“I’m deeply concerned about the failure to light up the park when vandalism and criminal activities are a serious problem,” he said. “There’s heroin dealing going on and it’s crazy – there’s a real underlife there.

“I’ve heard from elderly people and they are worried about it too.”

John Ellaby, who lives in the gardens and is spokesman for the St Mildred’s Area Community Society, says people are not happy about the situation.

“They are faced with dark spaces in the park and it’s imperative that the lights are well-maintained,” he said.

“It is important that they are fixed quickly as it gets dark earlier at this time of the year. It’s important that people who are using the route through the park do feel safe.”

Another resident of the gardens, Cllr Nick Eden-Green, says his wife also feels unsafe walking through the park.

He said: “They need dealing with because it feels unsafe when the area is completely unlit.

“The overhanging trees make it feel darker. I can understand that users of the gardens would feel uncomfortable.

“Already there is fresh graffiti in the park where the lights are out and you have to wonder if the lack of illumination was a factor.”

An investigation by our sister paper the Kentish Gazette last year revealed there had been a total of 84 crimes in the park in the previous three years, with residents continuing to suffer anti-social behaviour.

Canterbury City Council spokesman James Mercer says it is responsible for maintaining the lights, but the county council does the job on its behalf.

He added: “We would like to thank Mr Bowman for bringing to our attention the broken lights in the Dane John Gardens.

"We are now investigating the issue and aim to have the lights fixed within the next 25 days, if not earlier, depending on the problem.”