The Institute of Lighting Engineers (ILE) has published a set of guidelines to help local authorities tackle CO2 emissions and reduce their energy bills - and expressly states that turning off street lights is not the way to achieve this.

The guidelines have been published in response to Essex County Council's recent decision to switch off some of its street lights, a decision that was opposed by the Liberal Democrats. Cllr Keith Francis, Essex County Council Liberal Democrats highways and transportation spokesman, said:

"The ILE's expert advice to local authorities backs up all the points we made to Cllr Bass (Conservative cabinet member responsible for highways and transportation) when we called in this decision earlier this month. The ILE rightly states that street lighting reduces people's fear of crime, prevents night time personal injury and promotes evening social and leisure activities.

Liberal Democrats strongly champion an overall and permanent decrease in the carbon footprint that we produce here in Essex and, as these guidelines show, a reduction in street lighting will not be kinder to the environment in the medium to long term. A lack of lighting is likely to encourage greater car use as people will not want to walk around in the dark, causing more damage to the environment than the lighting.

The ILE recommends dimming lights rather than switching them off altogether. This will reduce light pollution and energy costs and also give residents the security they want to enable them to take part in evening social and leisure activities outside their home.

This is yet another ill thought out proposal that will not achieve its aims and will end up costing the taxpayer even more."