Hackney Council under fire for powering flood lights during the day

Hackney Council has come under fire for wasting money, powering heavy duty flood lights in broad daylight.

Mark Metclaf claims lights on the Beckers Estate in Rectory Road, Stoke Newington which he walks past every day, have been blazing away in the day for the last five years.

“It makes my blood boil seeing the huge waste of money by the council,” said Mr Metclaf who lives nearby in Amhurst Road.

“There are many lights attached to the tower block and a huge flood light over the car park – they are heavy duty lights of about 1000 watts each.

“It must be costing thousands of pounds a year, it’s an absolute ridiculous waste.

“Surely they should be put on a timer so they will be switched on at sunset and switched off at sunrise.”

He claims he has complained to the council “countless times” over the last five years but nothing was ever done.

But once the Gazette brought the problem to the attention of the Hackney Homes press office, a spokeswoman said they would send out a repair man.

“All lights on Hackney Homes estates are either set on a timer or a photocell; which controls when the lights come on depending on the level of natural daylight,” she said.