A CALL has been made for the councillor responsible for turning off streetlights in Essex to resign.

Harwich county councillor Ivan Henderson accused the authority’s cabinet member for highways, Rodney Bass, of misleading the public over whether risk assessments had been carried out before the lights were switched off.

Mr Bass reportedly told BBC Essex the necessary risk assessments had been carried out when he was interviewed in May.

But an email received by Mr Henderson showed there were no individual risk assessment carried out in each district rather exception criteria had been applied to each area.

However David Finch, leader of Essex County Council, said that Mr Henderson had misunderstood Mr Bass and the necessary assessment process had been followed throughout.

He said: “As with anything we introduce, we undertook extensive and rigorous impact assessments before starting part night lighting."