THURROCK Nub News has helped identify a fault in a lighting system after a Grays councillor shared concerns of residents over an area of the town in that suffers a late evening blackout.

Walkways and a car park area around the South Essex College campus in New Road offer a way to residents in the town to get to and from the centre, particularly from homes in the Thames Road area.

However, from around 9.30pm till the early morning all the lighting has been switched off recently, prompting fears that it is only a matter of time before someone falls or is attacked and robbed. 

The area when it is lit.

Resident Grant Draper is particularly concerned and his fears are shared by ward councillor Martin Kerin.

Mr Draper says: "For the last three weeks there have been no lights on the walkway from the tower blocks into Grays town. 

"The college car park is in darkness as well and for this time of year with kids walking home. 

"I have to use this pathway when it is pitch black. It is quite concerning. There are also lights issues on Sherfield road bridge. Out side the college car park there are two lights out as well."

How it's been recently.

However, the council has turned its back on the problem, saying it is not its responsibility and would not get involved in a resolution.

A statement to Mr Draper, which does not mention the faulty lights under council jurisdiction, says: "The car park and area and walkway between the South Essex college is not part of our highway. I have contacted the collage and advised these lights are not working."

Cllr Kerin has frequently had cause to complain about lights in the Seabrook area of the ward that are not working and are subject to long delays when it comes to repairs.

He has called for the council and college to work together to find a solution to the problem. 

Thurrock Nub News contacted tge college and asked it to investigate, which has resulted in a positive outcome.

A statement received today Wednesday, 1 February) says: "The college's external lights for the footpath and car park are on dusk till dawn photosensors with a timer that turns them off at 11pm. 

"The lights operate weekdays and are controlled by daylight sensors which activate when daylight fades below a certain level.

"This has been in place and unaltered since the campus opened in September 2014.

"We have investigated the information received that the lights went off at 9:30pm by going back through CCTV footage and we have identified a fault in the photosensors which is being remedied. In the mean time we have turned off the timer function so that the lights will operate solely on the dusk till dawn photo sensors seven days a week.

"The Thurrock College car park is not a public footpath and we advise members of the public to use the footpath which runs across the College site from New Road and intersects with the Kings Walk footpath to the South."