One streetlight in Dover’s Nightingale Road has been left on - day and night - for the best part of two months.

This is amid controversy over Kent County Council’s (KCC) decision to save £1million a year on energy bills by switching off some of the town’s lights between midnight and 5.30am.

KCC made the decision back in April and it has been implemented to also protect the environment and reduce light pollution.

The scheme has not proved popular with residents, who feel some of Dover’s enclosed residential areas are poorly lit at night.

The lights switched off on Whitfield Hill - an area which is still used regularly by people walking home from work in the early hours is an example.

A resident of Nightingale Road, who asked not to be named, said: “It’s been on 24/7 for about two months. A vehicle came round with a cherry picker up the road to change the lights and that ones been like it ever since.

“I was going to report it in the next couple of days as I found a list of useful numbers with street lights on.

“Half the time when they go wrong it’s because of problems with seagulls, there are sensors on top of the lights and seagulls make a mess on the sensors.”

The Mercury contacted KCC Highways, who are responsible for the scheme and the county’s lighting and they had passed on the information to their street light expert for investigation.

A spokesman for KCC said:“At least 95% of faulty street lights are repaired within 10 working days.

“At least 95% of faulty street lights are repaired within 10 working days." - Kent County Council

"If a street light can’t be fixed on the first visit, we may need to order extra parts and the repair will be planned as soon as possible, normally within 28 days.

“If there is a problem with the electricity supply, we will need to inform the electricity supplier, so it could take a little longer.

“In respect of the light in Nightingale Road, we will inspect the light within the next seven days and carry out the necessary repairs.

“We recognise that faults may occur at any time and therefore encourage the public, particularly drivers to tell us when they see broken street lights – helping us fix them more quickly, minimising risk of damage and injury to others.

"We make this very easy by providing an online tool on our website at www.kent.gov.uk/highways.”