Residents of a street in Peasedown St John have been asking for new lights to help stop drug dealers operating near their homes – for four years.

People living in Eckweek Gardens approached their district councillor in 2005 after a series of drug-related incidents near their homes.

Councillor Sarah Bevant told police and drew up a petition to appeal to council finance bosses to provide street lights which would illuminate a car park frequented by drug dealers and users.

A series of discussions followed, with representatives from Peasedown Parish Council and Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES) Council but no commitment was made, although residents were reassured that reserve funds were available.

Having heard nothing more, Ms Bevan submitted a question to the Conservative-run cabinet in Bath, only to be told that money was only available for maintenance of existing street lights, not for new columns.

Residents reported that four street lights some distance away from the area were broken, and that lights in nearby Gordon Road were on all day. These street lights remain unmaintained.

Meanwhile, the drug dealers continue to trade unhindered.

Ms Bevan said: "Apart from the Victorian quality of life these residents have to live with, we work hard to try and knit our two communities together, and lack of lighting of any kind here discourages people from walking from the original village where the bus stops are, to the new estate where many live.

"This road is strategic to this aim and left in its current state after dark, it is fast becoming a no-go area."

B&NES spokesman James Hinchliffe said: "There is a mixture of district council-owned and parish-owned lighting in Peasedown St John.

"The council has worked with Peasedown St John Parish Council to bring their lighting up to a standard which we would feel able to adopt.

The council has no statutory duty to adopt these lights but would consider adoption if they were improved to an acceptable standard by the parish council."