A RAILWAY crossing plunged into darkness at night due to a street light not being switched on is extremely dangerous, residents say.

A street light towards the end of Foundry Lane, Burnham, has not been turned on since it was installed in 2009, which has left the road, and the railway crossing, in darkness.

The crossing, along with the footpath leading from Foundry Lane to Maple Way, is popular with dog walkers, commuters, and people working at the industrial estate on Springfield Road.

Sandra Fitzgerald, of Fairway Drive, was burgled in June this year, and said the darkness of the footpath could allow criminals an easy escape.

She said: “It was devastating for us to be burgled like we did, having our house ransacked.

“But when you have a stretch of road and a public footpath that is pitch black just around the corner, it’s an easy way for them to slip away without being traced.

“I wouldn’t want to walk down there after dark, you can’t even see your hand in front of your face, there’s just no light source at all.

“It’s a safety concern too, there are lots of elderly people living around here.

“To have a crossing and footpath with no light source is a scary pros- pect.”

The street light was installed in 2009, but due to it being on an unadopted road, electricity has not been connected.

Phil Stevens, of Maple Way, said: “I really don’t know why it hasn’t been resolved.

“It can’t be difficult to assign power to the light.

“Once you leave Maple Way on the footpath towards the crossing, you can’t see a single thing.

“I doubt any young women would want to walk down there alone. You can’t deny there’s a potential for danger and crime down there.”

An Essex Highways spokesman said the patch of land is unadopted so it is not required to maintain it.

Burnham Mayor Ron Pratt said the issue had been ongoing for several years due to a land ownership issue.

He said: “The light was first installed by Essex County Council in 2009, but after being constructed they realised the land crossed over two or three areas of land owned by different parties. 

“Since then, we’ve been stuck trying to get power to it.

“Burnham Town Council is hoping to put forward the issue as a public safety concern to a local highways panel at its next meeting this month so it can be addressed.”