QUESTIONS are being asked as latest figures show an astonishing 1,723 street lights across Wirral are not working.

There is growing concern among affected householders that the council's failure to repair the lamps is reducing safety.

And with more than 950 lights being out of action for over a month - and 120 for six months - Conservative councillor Tom Anderson has sounded the alarm.

He told the Globe: “I have reported street lights out since November - and yet the council haven’t done anything about them.

"Taxpayers’ money is being paid to contractors for attendance to be made within five working days of a work order being issued for a defective street light.

"So why are we waiting for six months for lights to be fixed in some cases?"

Wirral Council said it intends to conduct an inspection at the end of April.

Councillor Anderson added: "We know that feeling safe is the most important factor to our residents when they were asked about their quality of life in a recent Ipsos Mori residents’ survey.

“Waiting another three months for the Labour administration to pull its finger out and get a grip of this situation is unacceptable; we need action now."

Last week it was reported elsewhere that streetlights in Cornwell Close, New Ferry, have been out of action since the beginning of winter.

The road is home to Sea Cadets and Bebington Youth Centre, attended by children as young as five.

Parents said they will not allow their children to walk along the darkened road and demanded the local authority take urgent action.

A council spokesman said the blackout had been caused by a fault in an underground cable and engineers are working with Scottish Power to resolve the problem.

Figures from January 19 show:

Number of streetlights across the borough: 37,470 columns, 4,860 illuminated signs/bollards.

Number reported out as of January 19: 1,723.

Number reported out for more than one month: 958.

Out for more than three months: 642.

Out for more than six months: 123.