A CANDLE-LIT vigil is to be held at the scene of an accident where a young soldier was killed in the early hours of Christmas Day.

Edward Heal, a trooper in the King's Royal Hussars, was hit by a Mazda car in Kenn Road, Clevedon, at around 1.15am.

The 19-year-old tank gunner, who had been training for a tour of duty in Afghanistan starting in March, had been out for a drink with his step-brother Sam at The Bristol pub and was understood to be on his way home when the accident happened.

Street lights along part of Kenn Road – including the section where the accident happened – were turned off between midnight and 5am earlier this year to save £230,000 a year.

Friends of Edward are organising a candlelit vigil at the scene of the crash at 11.45pm on New Year's Eve.

People are being asked to bring tea lights and candles to light up Kenn Road to highlight the need for street lights along the busy stretch – a main route out of Clevedon.

Residents along Kenn Road have been asked to put candles outside their properties along the street on New Year's Eve. A two minute silence is planned at 1.15am – exactly a week on.

Edward's friends have set up a Facebook campaign – Edward's campaign to get the street lights switched back on – to press North Somerset Council leaders to look again at the decision to leave Kenn Road in darkness during the early hours.

Nearly 500 people have signed up to support the campaign in the few days since Edward was killed. A petition has been started at www.petitiononline/petition/north-somerset-council- turn-our-street-lights-back-on /4080.

A spokesman for the campaign said: "Lights save lives. This is not just a memorial to such a popular lad but also we need to let North Somerset Council know they have to re-light our main roads to make them safer for everyone."

Edward's mother Elaine Coles has backed the campaign. Mrs Coles, 50, said: "If the lights are switched back on, hopefully it will prevent anything like this ever happening again. I hope the local authority takes notice of what the community is saying."

Local resident Carol Dyer and shopkeeper Kandia Mohan, who runs Kenn Road News, have also launched a petition calling for the lights to be switched back on, which has already been signed by around 300 people.

Tributes to Edward, including flowers, lager cans and soft toys, have been left at the scene of the tragedy.

The former Clevedon Community School student, who was a keen sportsman, had been on Christmas leave for a week.

North Somerset Council spokesman Nick Yates said: "Our thoughts are with the family at this time.

"Until the police investigation is complete and the full circumstances known, it is not appropriate for us to comment other than to say that any decision to switch off street lights is carefully considered and investigated before it is implemented and various organisations including the emergency services are consulted."

Edward's funeral is on January 12 at 3pm at Weston-super-Mare Crematorium. A celebration of his life will be held at the Crab Apple pub, Clevedon, afterwards. Family flowers only but people can make donations to Help for Heroes via funeral director, RG Rawlings, Woodland Road, Clevedon.