'˜New LED street lights are keeping us awake' Angry residents hit out and even blackout blinds don't help

Some of the new energy-saving lights are so bright that bedrooms appear floodlit - despite blinds and curtains.

Council officers have admitted they are dealing with an “exceptional number” of complaints about light intrusion.

They are this week investigating the issue and liaising with their lighting contractors.

One solution could be re-angling the lights, but unaffected households fear that may only shift the problem on to them.

Meanwhile sleep-deprived residents are rapidly losing patience. Some have even demanded the council supply them with black-out blinds.

Two Mile Ash is one of the latest places to have the LED lights fitted, and there have been hundreds of complaints of the estate’s Facebook page.

One resident said: “I asked the council if they’d considered dimmer lights for residential areas and the answer was ‘no’. I’ve been passed to another department and should hear in four weeks.

“I can’t do four weeks of next to no sleep.”

She added: “I have black- out blinds but the light comes round the edges and over the top. I think MKC should supply the blinds.”

Another resident said: “The bedrooms at night are flooded with blue light, even through lined curtains.”

MK council is spending £35 million on replacing all 56,000 street lights with LED bulbs over the next 10 years.

The new LED street lights are helping to save the environment as well as cash.

The ten-year replacement programme throughout the whole of MK will save hundreds of thousands of kilowatt hours and tonnes of carbon each year.

Tonnes of glass and steel will also be recycled back into the industry from the old-style lanterns that are being removed.

It costs around £500 to upgrade one lamp to LED. But each of the new lights could last up to 22 years.