A DOORMAN at a Clacton club says the town centre is descending into chaos as a result of the streetlight switch-off.

Most streetlights in Tendring are now turned off between midnight and 5am every night as part of a cost-cutting scheme by Essex County Council.

But security guard Simon Rollings, 41, claims the move has made Clacton dangerous.

He runs the door at Orwell Road bar 5th Avenue every weekend.

While streetlights are kept on around the majority of clubs in the town, 5th Avenue is shrouded in darkness as soon as the lights are switched off.

Mr Rollings, who runs the firm Aleat Security, said: “Since the lights started going out we have had no end of problems.

“We have had more violent incidents and we have had to help out the police a few times.

“This is supposed to be a seaside resort. Who’s going to want to come to a place where they are too scared to go out at night? It’s going to kill what’s left of the town.”

An Essex County Council spokesperson said: “The Part-Night Lighting Scheme has been in place for Maldon and Uttlesford since 2007 and consultations around the introduction of part-night lighting for the county took place in September 2013.

"We have ensured that those lights which meet the exception criteria are excluded from the scheme such as town centres, key road junctions and accident cluster sites.

"Essex County Council has been working closely with the emergency services and responds to representation from them regarding any areas which they believe should be exempt from the Part-Night lighting scheme.”