New street lights designed to cut crime could be installed across York.

An alleyway in Holgate is the first York street to get the new energy-efficient lights, and if they prove successful in deterring thieves and burglars, the scheme may be adopted across the city.

A City of York Council spokeswoman said the local ward committee had agreed to fund two street lights, which give out white light instead of yellow, in an alley between Murray Street and Lindley Street.

One light in the alley has already been replaced, and a new light will be installed at the other end in the coming months.

She said: "White lights have been proven to aid crime reduction because they make it easier to differentiate between colours at night. The new-style lights, which comply with Government guidelines on light pollution, also disperse light sideways more efficiently. Residents should see a big improvement in the overall lighting of the alley."

A former Labour councillor for the area expressed concern about the effectiveness of the new lights.

Liz Edge said residents were worried the new-style lights would make their homes more vulnerable to crime. She thinks they will not work as well as is claimed.

About ten years ago, Mrs Edge spearheaded the installation of the existing street lights as a means of deterring burglars. That move came after a spate of break-ins in the alleyway between Lindley Street and Murray Street, where thieves were able to scale the 6ft walls under cover of darkness.

"It makes me wonder whose interests the council are working for, since these new lights could be giving thieves a helping hand. They would not be so much environmentally-friendly as thief-friendly," she said.

But Ricky Watson, the council's street lighting engineer, said residents would find the new lights much better.

He said: "The white lights comply with Government regulations on light pollution as they direct the light where it is supposed to go (downwards, sideways and forward), unlike the old ones which wasted light upwards.

"If there is anyone up to no good in the alleyway, people will be able to see who it is and exactly what they're up to because the white light allows you to make out colour and shape much more easily," he said.

Updated: 09:35 Saturday, September 04, 2004