AN East Lancashire man is set to make a fortune after inventing an energy-saving street light.

Engineer Martin Watson-Levack, of Weir, near Bacup, developed his own light emitting diode (LED) lighting unit to compete with the high-energy products used by highways authorities across Britain.

Now Blackburn with Darwen Council has installed 20 of his LED units in traffic bollards in Yew Tree Drive, off Preston New Road, Blackburn, in a sixth-month trial.

If successful, it could lead town hall bosses to replace all 500 of the borough’s bollards, potentially saving £15,000 a year in energy bills.

However, married dad-of-two Mr Watson-Levack, an engineer for Lancashire County Council, is on Monday due to sign a bumper contract, worth a potential £5million, with the Highways Agency.

The deal, worth an initial £20,000, could see his device fitted on motorways across the country.

Mr Watson-Levack, 44, of Heald Lane, said: “This could be very big indeed.

"Completing the Highways Agency deal could take 18 months to three years, but it could end up being enough for me to retire on.

“I have also had inquiries from other councils and even conven-ience store Spar. It is all very exciting.”

Ian Darlington, manager for Capita Symonds, which manages Blackburn with Darwen’s street lighting, said: “We are always looking for new ways to reduce the cost and carbon levels of lighting in the borough and this system appears to do just that.”