From my vantage point high above Kendal it often strikes me what a waste of elect-ricity the street lighting is for most of the night. How many people are around at three in the morning and can such small numbers justify the expense?

Several local communities around the country have found this to be an unacceptable cost and turn them off at midnight.

After all, before the introduction of gas lights we did without street lights altogether and even in my childhood the lamps were turned off late at night.

Many will no doubt raise an outcry as to the danger of crime when the town is in darkness, but remember that large numbers of houses now have automatic security lights, which serve little useful purpose when the area is brightly lit anyway.

The money saved might be used to provide free parking to the advantage of local business and the conven-ience of the public. This would benefit many more people than those who go home at four in the morning.

It might make it once again possible to see the night sky and save people the expense of travelling to Norway to see the northern lights, when they can be often be seen in Cumbria.

Kent Brooks, Kendal