AROUND £17million will be saved over the next 20 years following the completion of a project to upgrade the county's street lighting.

Traffic lights have also been upgraded to LED lanterns as part of Herefordshire Council's county-wide upgrade which is aimed at providing a modern and efficient lighting system.

The five-year, £7million project will deliver significant revenue cost savings of approximately £17million over the next 20 years, the council says.

Some criticism has been levelled at the council about the new LED lights, with one Hereford mum stating she believed the lights were too dim for main roads in the city.

However, the council says the project will save 29,000 tonnes of carbon emissions over 20 years, which is equivalent to the average carbon footprint of 2,600 domestic households.

The LED street lights should also, the council says, provide a better quality, white light on the highway and provide much better visibility during murky/foggy weather.