LET there be light! That was the plea from angry community leaders who have accused City of York Council of "utter stupidity" over its failure to install new street lighting.

Clifton ward councillors Ken King and David Scott today highlighted major problems in the handling of two schemes designed to brighten up the lives of local residents.

Young peoples' champion Coun Scott said children were still waiting for the completion of a £5,000 scheme to install lighting at Crombie Avenue play area - because of blunders.

"Rather than achieving this simple request, the council drew up plans and started a consultation process to install lights on the wrong site, near the Burton Green Community Centre," he said.

Despite numerous complaints, the play area is still to be fitted with the lights.

"It is shocking that the council can make such a massive error, which has left young people without lighting in this play area for over a year," Coun Scott said.

"I hate to think how much money the council have wasted preparing plans for the wrong place and consulting about lighting in the wrong area. The young people who have spoken to me have said how much they want to be able to use their play area in Crombie Avenue during the dark evenings. Ultimately it is they who are missing out."

Meanwhile, Coun King highlighted another issue in St Phillips Grove.

He said that more than six months ago, a car knocked a lamppost down, breaking the street light. After requests from residents to repair it, engineers eventually put up a new light stand and resurfaced the road.

Coun King claims when the electricity board came to connect electrics, they could not access the cables as they were buried in the road. The light was left broken for a further eight weeks, before another complaint was made.

"What a catalogue of mistakes caused by utter stupidity," Coun King said.

Referring to the play area issue, a City of York Council spokeswoman, said: "There appears to have been some confusion between the original request for lighting in the play area and councillors' requirements. A new design for the area will be created as soon as possible."

On the second issue, a spokeswoman, said: "We understand that the electricity company had difficulty in locating the necessary wires, but as far as we are aware, this was not related to resurfacing works."