A street blackout in Armagh city centre has been described as an accident waiting to happen.
The streetlight blackout at one of the busiest junctions in the city centre at the top of the Mall has been blamed on the erection of an “offensive” and “wind catching banner” between street lights.
City Sinn Féin councillor Garath Keating said the three main street lights illuminating a busy pedestrian crossing at the top of the Mall leading onto Barrack Street are in complete darkness.
“These important pieces of road safety infrastructure, which help keep both pedestrians and motorists safe, have been broken,” he explained.
“Which has left the area dangerously underlit by the reckless actions of a gang of thoughtless individuals who affixed and abandoned a banner which has, in addition to offence, now caused damage to the streetlight fixtures.”
The local councillor continued: “The lights which have now been out for a significant number of days are seriously compromising road safety in the area.
“This is clearly the unsurprising consequences of affixing a wind catching banner between street lights across a busy road and has resulted in damage to public safety fixtures at both sides of the road.
“This banner needs to be taken down immediately in order that remedial work can be undertaken to fix the lights before a serious accident occurs.”
