Streetlights are a small but vital part of making people feel safer on the streets, it would be a huge oversight to cut the hours more than they already have been.

I live in very close proximity to a train station; therefore, I am witness to many stumbling down the street late at night, as well as strolling home in the dark after my late-night escapades (which usually involve going to the cinema in all honesty).

It’s unsafe enough even when the path is illuminated due to the uneven pavements, which as a clumsy person, I have tripped over more times than I can count, never mind in the pitch black.

Furthermore, dozens of concerns have been raised about the safety of women and girls in this country, and it's less than reassuring that money is potentially being considered more monument than people’s safety.

They make people, including me, feel safer at night, with a survey conducted by the British Crime Survey revealing that 85 per cent of people reported feeling safer in areas with adequate street lighting. Whether or not they have an impact on crime, the importance of feeling okay walking down your own street cannot be understated.

I know many women; friends, family, and myself, already find it daunting enough to leave the house when nightfall hits, resorting to downloading apps that calculate walking time and message emergency contacts if you take too long, and gabbing while on a midnight stroll to feel reassured.

In a world where concerns are being raised daily about carbon emissions and their possible impacts, decisions should be made to increase the number of people walking and cycling, both of which are kinder for the environment than cars, darkness has been shown to decrease the numbers of pedestrians.

Studies comparing the effect of light conditions on road traffic collisions at pedestrian crossings found that pedestrians are 1.7 times more likely to be hit by a vehicle while using a crossing at night, in comparison to in the daytime.

In summary, cutting the hours of streetlights would be a serious error, and Hampshire County Council should be urged to not do so for the sake of saving money as safety should remain paramount.