By Gareth Davies

gareth.davies@essnmedia.co.uk

A parade of shops has been branded a "muggers' paradise" because street lighting has not been fixed for five months.

Last Friday, the parade in Wayside, Fieldway, was plunged into complete darkness overnight after a leak in an electrical cupboard outed power.

But even when the electricity is working, the only lighting at night comes from the Wayside Fishbar.

Traders and residents are now demanding action to make the area safer.

Dennis Gavin, who lives in Cedar house, said: "It's pitch black out there and when the other shops are closed the place turns into a muggers paradise – something needs to be done about it."

And Cumali Akbulut, manager of the Wayside Fishbar, says the lack of lighting in the stairwells leading to homes above the shops is also dangerous.

He said: "My wife is pregnant and she has to walk up and down a pitch black staircase at night.

"Pretty soon she, or someone else, will slip up and really hurt themselves."

The electricity went out on Friday at 6.54am. The bang from the shorting circuits led residents to believe it was a firework.

Firefighters were called, but discovered it had been caused by a water leak in the electricity cupboard, situated in the stairwell.

EDF Energy sent an engineer out, and the power was restored at 10am the following morning.

Mr Akbulut said: "I was pretty angry because I lost out on business during one of the busiest nights of the year.

"I'm not surprised though. We've been without lighting around here for months."

The council lighting is the responsibility of the parade's owner. Croydon Council said it had installed the lights a year ago under special powers which allowed it to bill the landlord for the work because he had neglected the area.

However, maintaining the lights, and their electricity supply, is now the responsibility of the landlord.

The Advertiser was not able to contact the landlord for comment.