SUGGESTIONS that street lights in Oxfordshire could be turned off to save money were yesterday criticised by Oxford Mail readers.

After we revealed council chiefs were considering the move, people commented online to vent their disapproval of the idea.

One user, mrsjoellis, wrote: “ALL businesses, including local governments should take a look at how many unnecessary electrical items are plugged in day in day out... That along with the LED lighting would certainly be a start.

“Safety, however perceived, MUST be a priority!”

Meanwhile, andy1975 said: “I’m all for minimising wasted electricity but there must be better ways than this.”

And Quentin Walker suggested: “What about turning traffic lights at roundabouts off as a start?”

Council chiefs said they were reviewing street lighting as part of efforts to cut back the annual annual energy bill by £2m over the next four years due to rising costs.

Cabinet member David Nimmo Smith said a special committee had been set up to examine the issue.

More than 40 per cent of the local authority’s energy costs are from the 60,000 street lights it manages, with Mr Nimmo Smith suggesting some could be switched off from midnight to 6am.

There were some readers who supported the move, with Richard of Wantage writing: “It’s a misconception that street lights prevent crime, if you look at the figures most crimes occur in well-lit areas.”

EMBOX3 said: “No problem with switching off street lights between 1am and 5am, and maybe 2am to 6am in winter.”

And Janet Bull said: “Far too much energy is being wasted and much is just unnecessary.”

A council spokesman said it was “still developing” its policy.

He added: “What is right for one area isn’t necessarily right for another, this is not one size fits all.”