A FAMILY of four are pleading with a council to end their sleepless nights caused by new street lamps which make winter darkness in their bedrooms seem like bright sunlight.

Stuart Wild, his partner, Iryna, and their two daughters, aged 13 and 12, have had little or no sleep since the new hi-tech LED devices were fitted last week.

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The lamps on the opposite side of the road from their Blackburn cottage beam ‘an unnatural glare’ through their curtains.

Mr Wild, an insurance broker, appealed for help from Blackburn with Darwen Council as his family faced another night without sleep at Brandy House Brow in Higher Croft.

The 39-year-old said: “We have now suffered five sleepless nights under this unnatural beam.

“I understand these new lights are more energy efficient.

“But surely they should be directed onto the carriageway and not into the front windows of our home?

“This is a nightmare or a ‘lightmare’.

“It is brighter in the house at night than it is during the day outside.

“I can’t sleep and it’s making me short-tempered and feel stupid.

“Our children can’t sleep and can’t do their school work properly because of the glare.

“At night the light is so bright it is like trying to sleep in a floodlit stadium, even with curtains.

“If nothing is done we’ll have to spend quite a lot of money on special blinds and drapes to cure the problem.”

Mr Wild – who moved to the property from Manchester two years ago – wants the council to look at options including:

• replacing the light fitting

• dimming technology

• erecting shields

• or painting the end of the light black

Mr Wild has contacted Blackburn MP Kate Hollern, who says she will look into the matter.

Blackburn with Darwen’s environment boss, Jim Smith, has pledged to tackle the problem.

He said: “I will send a team round to have a look and see what can be done.

“We do not want to cause residents upset, problems or sleepless nights.

“Hopefully, we can resolve this quickly.

“The new lamp is part of a £9m plus upgrade to the latest LED lighting in the borough.

“It [the upgrade] will save cash in the long term and replace dangerous 40-year-old lamp columns.”