Street lights should be kept on overnight to make neighbourhoods feel safer and deter criminals, people have claimed following a report studying the impact of unlit lamps.

On Tuesday (July 28), the report from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in partnership with University College London was published, finding “little evidence of harmful effects of switch off, part-night lighting (PNL)… on road collisions or crime in England and Wales”.

The results were welcomed by the Police and Crime Commissioner for Essex, Nick Alston, who claimed the report actually shows a slight reduction in crime levels where lights are off.

In Epping Forest, more than 70 per cent of street lamps are turned off overnight as Essex County Council tries to save £6million by 2020.

Despite the savings the lights should be kept on to reassure people, said John Holdsworth, 71, of Baldwin’s Hill in Loughton.

He said: “I definitely feel safer when they are on, and I feel it is unlikely that crime would go down if they are off.”

He added: “I would have thought turning the lights on would deter criminals… personally, this saving money thing, I think: ‘Where does it end?’

“You could say, ‘Why have any police at all, it would save money’.

“It is a never-ending thing, it really is.

“I would have thought there would be a lot more places to save money first, before turning the lights off.”

Katie Henry, 25, from Debden, said she agreed with the PCC and felt some crimes are decreasing, but she added that others may become more frequent.

She said: “I actually think crime could go down, I agree with him.

“Because burglars are going to find it harder - when it is dark they are not really going to shine a light because it would attract attention, wouldn’t it.

“I think for young girls it could be more dangerous, but burglary could actually go down.”

Susan Clarkin, 56, of Forest View Road in Loughton, said that regardless of the effect on the crime level, lights should be kept on to reassure elderly and vulnerable people.

She said: “I had a CCTV camera put up, because my dog died and I am frightened now.

“I think they should be turned back on if it makes people feel safer, especially with lots of older people around here.

“There are quite a lot of people in my road in their 80s and 90s, and it must be really frightening for them.”