THE increasing use of outdoor electric lighting is blotting out the starry skies over the North-East of England.

Satellite data published today by the Council for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) shows the worrying extent of light pollution in the UK and how rapidly it is spreading.

It has launched a Night Blight campaign in conjunction with the British Astronomical Association (BAA), highlighting the fact that half the UK population can no longer see the Milky Way. Also five of the 12 constellations featured in horoscopes have become entirely invisible in some areas.

The worst North-East sectors increased by 29pc between 1993 and 2000, while clear views in rural areas shrank by 28pc.

On average, light shining upwards at night from each square kilometre rose by 42pc - a greater increase than in any other English region.

But despite this deterioration, the North-East still retains darker night skies overall, with 31pc of its total land remaining in the least light-polluted category.

Nic Best, CPRE's regional policy officer for the North-East, said: "Star-filled night skies are one of the things that make our countryside so special. We've found they are disappearing fast because of careless, wasteful use of outdoor light."

The CPRE and the BAA have drawn up proposals for action by all those involved in outdoor lighting - central and local government, business and commerce and consumers and citizens.

They point out that there is no need to compromise traffic or personal safety by switching off lights. They should simply be better directed so they do not waste electricity lighting up the night sky. The knock-on effect of using less electricity would be reductions in air pollution and emissions of climate changing greenhouse gases.