RESIDENTS living for years in a "forgotten" Farnworth street may soon see an end to their building site nightmare. Families moved into the small development of 19 mews houses and semi-detached homes off Harrowby Street more than four years ago. But, although the small cul-de-sac was completed by Dawn Developments, the access road, which connects the houses in Shillingford Road with Harrowby Street, was owned by a different developer and not finished.

There are just three street lights outside the new houses and frustrated residents say they have been plunged into darkness after one of them developed a fault and they have been unable to get it repaired.

"What if one of our children got murdered? It is very dark," said worried mum Pamela McDermott.

Residents say the lack of a proper street is more than just annoying, it could have been a matter of life and death.

The street is not adopted so when Mrs McDermott's husband, James suffered a stroke two years ago it took the ambulance half an hour to reach them.

"They couldn't find us because we didn't have a street sign," said Mrs McDermott.

"We feel we have been forgotten and no one wants to know."

Dave Sutton, Bolton Council's head of highway planning and regulation told the BEN that the end could be in sight for the residents as Wilcon Homes are buying the remaining land and will undertake to upgrade the connecting road before any building work starts.

Then Dawn Developments will finish their section of road and the development can be officially adopted by the council.

In the meantime the council has contacted Dawn Developments about the faulty street light, which remains their responsibility, and has received assurances that it will be repaired.

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