STRICT new safety rules governing the hanging of Christmas lights from street lamps does not mean the plug has been pulled on traditional festive light displays, according to the county council.

A new code of practice aimed at cutting the risk of passers-by being electrocuted or crushed by falling lamp posts has been introduced across Lancashire.

The code governs the hanging of seasonal decorations from street lamps. It aims to cut down on dangerous practices such as leaving electrical cables exposed or hanging with support and cracking down on unsafe wiring connections.

Critics claimed the rules could mean a blackout of Christmas and millennium street lights.

West Craven Liberal Democrat David Whipp, said there was no need for such 'draconian' regulations. "The rules are OTT, especially as there is no record of a single injury or accident caused by decorations in the whole of Lancashire," he added. "I wish the county council would adopt the same zealous precautions over real road safety problems. Bad pavements and potholes cause more accidents in a week than lights on lamp posts would in a thousand years."

But County Councillor Brian Johnson, chairman of the county's highways and transportation general purposes sub-committee, which agreed the new rules, said: "The code of practice will ensure that festive decorations are installed safely.

"Seasonal decorations obviously add to the atmosphere of any celebration and we certainly want that to continue. However, we cannot allow the safety of the general public to be compromised."

He added: "Although lamp posts provide a convenient place to hang cables, they are clearly not designed for this and certain steps need to be taken to make them safe.

"Drilling the columns can seriously weaken them and suspending cables can subject the column to dangerous stress."

Chairman of the highways and transportation committee Councillor Tim Ormrod, said: "The sub-committee has balanced the seasonal demand to hang decorations in the street with the very real need to guarantee public safety."

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