A countywide campaign fighting for council chiefs to switch street lights back on has been launched by a legal secretary from Gravesend.

The ‘Right to Light’ e-petition needs at least 10,000 signatures by the November deadline to trigger a full Kent County Council debate.

KCC decided to plunge many rural and residential streets into darkness as part of its Safe and Sensible lighting initiative.

The aim of the scheme is to reduce energy costs, carbon emissions and light pollution by turning off about 70,000 lights – 60% of the county’s 120,000 lights – between midnight and 5.30am, or 1am and 6.30am during British Summer Time.

Since its introduction in April, many people have expressed their anger and concerns.

Kent Police has told council chiefs it “cannot” support the initiative as street lighting is known to reduce crime.

Tina Brooker is heading the Right to Light campaign and set up the online petition after gaining support in Gravesham.

The legal secretary, of The Warren, Gravesend, collected more than 2,000 signatures for a similar petition on Gravesham council’s website, and hopes residents throughout Kent will support the countywide version.

"Even if people have not been affected by crime since the lights went out, they still want them back on. We pay our council tax and this is just a cut too far” - Tina Booker

She said: “Quite simply, people want their lights switched back on. Even if people have not been affected by crime since the lights went out, they still want them back on. We pay our council tax and this is just a cut too far.”

She is also backed by Labour councillors across the borough and county, who have so far collected about 800 signatures to be counted towards the e-petition total.

However, the hundreds of signatures Miss Brooker collected for her Gravesham council e-petition cannot be automatically transferred, although those who have already signed can still add their signature to the KCC one.

Miss Brooker said: “I was a little despondent at first as it felt like going back to the drawing board,but now I’m more determined than ever.

“Once we reach that figure, it will hopefully ruffle a few feathers and the KCC bigwigs will have to discuss the issue.”

The deadline for the KCC ‘Right to Light’ e-petition is November 18.