Residents have less than a week to sign an online petition calling for councillors to discuss a countywide decision to plunge many roads into darkness.

The e-petition Right to Light, set up by legal secretary Tina Brooker, must collect at least 750 signatures by Monday for the matter to go before Gravesham council’s scrutiny committee.

Miss Brooker, 51, set up the petition in response to Kent County Council’s Safe and Sensible scheme.

The grandmother, who lives in The Warren, Gravesend, wants KCC to reconsider its decision to switch off 70,000 of the county’s lights between midnight and 6.30am.

Earlier this week the e-petition was just 96 signatures short of its target. Miss Brooker started her campaign after her disabled neighbour hid for three hours as intruders tried to break into her home just days after the start of the scheme in April.

A total of 3,500 of Gravesham’s 8,000 street lights and 3,700 of Dartford borough’s 8,400 lights, mainly in residential and rural roads, have been switched off.

Miss Booker has written to David Cameron, Ed Miliband and UKIP’s Nigel Farage and has also contacted Chief Constable Alan Pughsley and met Gravesham MP Adam Holloway.

Miss Brooker said: “A lot of people have been affected by the KCC blackouts and it was interesting hearing people’s views and, of course, collecting lots of signatures on the petition.
“It will be an interesting New Year’s Eve when everyone goes outside to welcome in the new year and the lights go out!”

The Messenger is campaigning to reverse the decision and local Labour members have also been gather support for the fight to get the lights turned back on.

KCC maintains the switch-off is saving money and cutting carbon emissions and says many other local authorities are doing likewise.