RESIDENTS fear an underpass which has no lights will become plagued by muggers.

The lights at the Roundacre underpass, which connects Gloucester Park to Basildon town centre, have still not been replaced after several months.

Now residents have said they are scared to use it because the daylight hours are getting shorter and the clocks will go back in just a few weeks.

In June, Essex County Council started work on replacing the lights and also removing some decorative tiles in the subway. In August, the council said the works would be finished in the next few weeks.

But residents claimed they have been persistently fobbed off by the council when they have phoned to find out exactly when the lights would be switched on.

Dorothy Sheppard, 73, of Bretons, Basildon, said: “There are a lot of pensioners here and they have all complained about it.

“That underpass is used all the time and a lot of children use it because there are several schools in the area.

“But whenever I phone the council, they just tell me to wait another three weeks.

“But the clocks are going back in three weeks. It is getting darker and darker, so muggers will be able to use it.

“It doesn't matter if the council does not replace the tiles straight away, but it needs to make the lighting a priority.

“We need them to turn them back on.

“The only other underpass is too far so you can’t expect people to walk up there.”

We contacted the county council for a statement, but no one responded before the paper went to press.