NEW street lighting is to be installed in Pendle to put criminal activity in the shade.

More than £63,000 has been allocated from Lancashire County Council to fund the lights in areas identified by residents as where fear of crime is high.

The lights will brighten up problem streets in the borough and put the spotlight on any shady activities.

The aim is to make residents in Nelson, Colne, Brierfield and Barrowford feel safer when the improved street lighting is installed later this year.

The initiative is thanks to Pendle Community Safety Partnership, which made successful funding bids and helped identify the streets where the lights are needed through area working groups.

Coun Anne Kerrigan, Executive Member for Community Safety, said: "The Community Safety Partnership asked the five Area Working Groups in Pendle for their suggestions of neighbourhoods that would benefit from better street lighting.

"We also looked at the amount of street lights there are in areas across Pendle at the moment, as well as considering crime figures over the last 12 months.

"Bids were put together based on this information and I'm delighted that we've got over £63,000 to install better street lighting in seven areas of Pendle, to help make local people feel safer.

"The work will start this summer and the first set of new street lights will be switched on from December."

Concerns from residents include above average crime levels, fears of drug related crime and spates of vehicle thefts.

Areas to benefit are:

l Newbridge area of Barrowford -- including Garnet Street, Lower Clough Street, Maud Street, May Street and Pendle Street.

l Taylor Street, Guilford Street, Ross Street and Montague Street, Brierfield.

l Waterside area of Colne -- including Doughty Street, Seldon Street, Duke Street, Hall Street, Earl Street and Chapel Street.

l Chatham Street, Newfield Drive and Norfolk Street, Nelson.