ELDERLY residents fear leaving their homes at night after their streets have been plunged into darkness.

Ralph Robinson, 81, from Auckland Walk, Willington, claims street lights on a path passing through his estate have not been working for the past three months.

The walkway, which runs from Willington to Sunnybrow, is bordered by wooded areas and alleys and he says people feel unsafe using it in darkness.

He said: "We are disabled and elderly people living in here and unless we switch our lights on in our backyards, we can't see anything.

"I daren't go out as soon as it gets dark. I'm fed up with it because I've rung all kinds of people to report it, but nobody seems to give a damn.

"The path is used as a short cut through the estate, but even though my home carer just lives five minutes away from my house she now takes a huge detour to get here."

A spokesman for Durham County Council said its contractors were investigating a major fault with the lighting.