WITH reference to the item, “Move to turn off street lighting across North Yorkshire to save money on the lighting budget” (The Press, June 2).

A retrograde step in financial terms and, more importantly, likely to cause an increase in accidents to the pedestrian and motor vehicle owner.

Experimental moves made in certain London boroughs on the same lines showed an increase in the crime rate with burglary, robbery with in violence along with criminal damage, especially in unlit side streets.

In my experience, while patrolling such areas armed with a torch, the general feedback from residents, some of whom were aged and/or infirm, was that they were frightened to venture far from their homes after dark.

To most of their generation it was reminiscent of the war years, when black outs were the norm although crimes, apart from the black market constituted a stain on the neighbourhood as a whole until the culprit was brought to justice, alas this no longer applies.

Kenneth Bowker, Vesper Walk, Huntington, York.