BETTER lighting and paving would help reassure pensioners living near to where an elderly woman was attacked.

Ronnie Eaves, of Ley Crescent, Blackmoor claims his neighbours risk injury because of poor street lighting and poorly surfaced footpaths.

Mr Eaves said: "People around here are all scared after the incident in Astley Street when an elderly woman was attacked on her doorstep."

But he says although Tyldesley East Cllr Stephen Hellier has been sympathetic to their concerns, requests to the authority for upgrades have been met with the reply that no money is available.

And he claimed elderly people, including those who had difficulty walking, were being forced to go out of their way because of the poor condition of a well-used short-cut from their bungalow complex. He claimed: "The ginnel leading from Norwood Avenue to Princes Avenue/Astley Street is a disgrace. It should have been resurfaced straight through.

"The street lighting is terrible too."

Cllr Hellier told The Journal: "I wrote recently to the Borough Engineer who accepts that the street lighting in this area is far from ideal.

"However, we have 18,000 lights like this across the borough which in time will fall due for replacement.

"At present the limited budget available for for replacements has for safety reasons to be targeted at structurally defective columns."

Cllr Hellier reassured Mr Eaves that he would again be contacting the housing department to re-emphasise the condition of the footpath.

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