A Nantwich headteacher is leading calls for council chiefs to switch street lights back on to boost safety.
Andrew Cliffe, head of Brine Leas Academy on Audlem Road, has twice written to Cheshire East Council raising concerns about streets plunged into darkness.
One key worry is the busy Peter de Stapleigh Way.
A long section of the road between Pear Tree Field and Audlem Road had its street lights turned off to save energy – one of scores of streets across the borough.
But reports of pupils being followed or approached by strangers, and dangers of icy pathways on cold nights, has led to calls to switch them back on.
Now local councillors have joined the clamour, and Cheshire East has bowed to pressure and agreed to review the area.
Mr Cliffe said: “I have written to raise my concerns, and I would urge parents who are worried to do the same.
“The initial response was that the route was walked with an engineer who had the view that the backwash from lights off the estate, as well as car lights, were sufficient to light it!
“We have up to 250 children who live in that direction who use the road in the morning and evening when it is very dark.”
Nantwich South and Stapeley Cllrs Andrew Martin and Peter Groves said they were aware of concerns and have met with highways engineers.
In a statement, they said they have raised residents’ concerns about the lack of lighting along part of Peter De Stapleigh Way and the road into Nantwich from Cheerbrooks.
Cllr Andrew Martin, who lives on nearby London Road, said he and his children regularly walk along the road and the concerns of residents is shared.
The roads have been visited by the engineers, with the local councillors.
Cllr Peter Groves added: “We have made strong representations to both the Leader of the Council and the Cheshire East Portfolio holder, to have the lights along Peter Destapleigh Way turned back on.”
A Cheshire East Council spokesperson said: “As part of a number of cost-saving initiatives in recent years, the council has reduced street lighting away from major junctions and on rural roads which are little used by pedestrians or cyclists.
“Independent road safety analysts looked at the locations affected by the switch off and concluded there had been no discernible increase in accidents during the hours of darkness.
“However, in this instance, residents are mainly concerned about the safety of pedestrians, particularly schoolchildren.
“There are footways along Peter de Stapleigh Way and, as a result, the council has agreed to carry out a review to assess whether a limited number of street lights could be brought back into use to light the footways.”
CEC started this a long time ago “to save money”. Perhaps someone from CEC could tell the rest of us precisely how much money they have saved since the switch-off began. At least that would enable a sensible judgment to be made about whether the switch-off is justified or not.