STREET lighting on the A361 needs to be reviewed by Wiltshire Council says Councillor Ernie Clark, after a coroner’s inquest ruled no lighting on the road was a factor in the death of a Melksham woman.

Cheryl Richards, 31, from Berryfield Lane, was killed on the stretch of road between Leap Gate and Ashton Road roundabouts on September 27, 2014, when she was walking home from a party.

Coroner Ian Singleton concluded at the inquest last Thursday in Salisbury that no street lighting, which is switched off between 12am-5.30am to save money, was one of the main factors in her death.

Hilperton’s Independent councillor Cllr Clark now intends to speak with Wiltshire Council and believes they should look into whether money saved by switching off the lights is worth putting people’s safety at risk.

He said: “As the council pointed out at the time there are no footpaths on that road and people are encouraged to use the path system, but as events have proved people will walk along it, especially if it is a shorter route to get home and has resulted in what was a tragedy.

“The decision to turn the lights off was purely a cost saving measure by the Conservatives and I hope after this the highways committee take note of the coroner’s verdict as I would have thought the money being saved is not a lot.

“I would have been happier if the lights had been dimmed or if every other one was used as it was a little bit foolhardy to switch them completely off but absolutely they need to look at it again, one death is one death too many.

“I’ll be asking the council to look at the policy which is potentially a risk to pedestrians and I really think the council is going to have to look at it.”

The lights on the A361, as well as several other areas, were switched off between 12am-5.30am in April 2011, with a more extensive scheme rolled out last year which currently saves the council £300,000 a year.

Wiltshire Council currently spends more than £1.2million a year on electricity for the 40,000 street lights it owns, half of which it hopes will eventually be switched off on a night to save money and reduce its carbon footprint.

Philip Whitehead, cabinet member for highways at Wiltshire Council, said: “Whenever there is a fatal accident in Wiltshire the police thoroughly investigate the incident, and any recommendations made by the coroner concerning the highway are given serious consideration by Wiltshire Council.

“Any coroner’s report we discuss and we discuss at length which will include this one and the council will take steps where necessary, but it would be unfair to make any further comment where a fatality was involved.”