Street lighting cuts crime and improves road safety, a minister admitted yesterday.

Rosie Winterton's comments came less than 24 hours after the Daily Mail revealed that councils across Britain are switching off lights to save money.

While roads are being left in darkness after midnight, Mrs Winterton's transport ministry released a statement that talked of good lighting creating "happier communities".

In direct contrast to the switch-off trials across the South of England, Mrs Winterton said: "Experience shows that better street lighting helps improve road safety, as well as reducing crime and the fear of crime.

"It is also helps create happier and healthier local communities by promoting social inclusion and more sustainable patterns of transport by encouraging people to cycle and walk."

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Edmund King, president of the AA, said: "There is an irony that on the day that it is exposed that many councils are switching off street lights, the transport minister is telling us that they improve safety and reduce the fear of crime.

"It appears that many local authorities could learn from listening to the minister."

Mrs Winterton's comments were welcomed by motoring groups and crime charities which said the blackouts increased road accidents and crime.

Over the last few months tens of thousands of street lamps have gone out after midnight, mostly in middle class, suburban areas.

Full article here.