Monmouthshire County Council has, in a statement, urged people to be conscious of street lights which are not working properly.

However, the comment from the County has brought an astonished response from one of the region's best known and most respected community clerks.

Mr Roy Nicholas, who is Clerk to Llangattock Vibon Avel Community Council, gave The Beacon details of questions he raised, on street lighting, at a meeting of the Central Monmouthshire Area Committee.

He said he had pointed out that street lights remaining on was increasing dramatically the authority's energy costs.

"These high energy costs do not surprise me when I see so many street lights lit continuously during the day, and when I note that Powys charges £56 to have a lamp lit at night times" said Mr Nicholas.

"Yesterday, for example, between Bishops Garage and the One Stop Shop in Monmouth I noticed seven lights were lit at late morning.

"There was a lamp outside the Riverside Hotel without a number, another without a number opposite the Garage, but with a board advertising a property developer.

"And there was another without a number just a little distance opposite and to the west of the garage". He said there were four other street lamps lit in the day time (and has provided the numbers of those lamps).

"I would also draw attention to the free standing lighting control box situated alongside the road leading from The Green Dragon. This is a box on the pavement, housing various electrical connections and a timer. The door is partly open and appears to have been in this state for a while. I would consider it to be a safety issue.

"here is something very slapdash about the care of the electricity installations as far as I can see".