A NEW service station has promised to install lights on a dark footpath after residents warned children were at risk.

People living near the new services on the M65 at Darwen believed children who use the path which leads to the McDonald's restaurant were at risk from perverts.

Malcolm Hawtrey, of Cloister Drive, said: "With all the recent abductions, murders and rapes of young girls, how distressing it was for my wife and I to watch two young girls of about eight or nine, walking towards the new McDonald's at 4.30pm on a dark winter night. Where were the parents of these little girls and does nobody warn the children about the dangers?"

Edna Carr, 80, of Redvers Road said: "A lot of people have to walk on gravel paths to the restaurant and it just doesn't seem safe. I'm also worried about the amount of litter being dropped and I know it's going to end up looking really bad."

A spokesman for Margram's, owners of the services, said: "I would like to thank residents of Darwen for bringing this to our attention. It's something we weren't aware of before and we will put light on the paths to the restaurant. It will probably take one or two months to get consent but child safety is something we take very seriously."

A McDonald's spokesman said the company had problems with children dropping litter but a pick-up every 15 minutes by a member of staff meant they were doing all they could to stop the problem.

Darwen MP Janet Anderson has written to the Highways Agency complaining about the 'Blackburn' sign at the M65 services.

She said: "The people who have complained have every right. The service station is in Darwen."