WE can well understand the reaction of some residents who are appalled at the proposal to switch off half of Torfaen's street lights to save money.

The council has proposed switching off every other street light, which could save several hundred thousand pounds a year as well as cutting eight per cent of the council's carbon footprint.

It has, sensibly, instigated a two month consultation period to look at the implications of its proposal and to consider residents' comments (of which there will be plenty, we would suggest.) We can perfectly well understand the council's desperate search for cost-savings.

It is not the only local authority to find itself under-funded and this is just one of a number of measures that are being put forward to cut council spending around the country.

The obvious fear is that poorly-lit streets will lead to an increase in crime.

We feel there is merit in that argument and it will be interesting to see the council's response. But there are other issues.

How selective can the council be, for instance, in keeping street lights on around schools and pedestrian crossings?

Should speed limits be reduced?

Would it not be more sensible to reduce lighting only in the middle of the night, when the danger of road accidents would be substantially reduced?

These are questions that need answering and we expect Torfaen Council to be comprehensive in dealing with all of the issues before turning the lights out.