A WORRIED Melksham resident has won his fight for extra streetlights along a popular route after concerns were raised about the safety of people walking alone.

A campaign set up by Shaun Oakman secured six extra lights, costing around £5,000, along a stretch of footpath from Ruskin Avenue to Blackmore Road. West Wiltshire Housing Society is hoping to install the lights over the coming weeks.

The police and town council backed the campaign, and residents living in the area sent a letter to Wiltshire County Council.

Mr Oakman, 35, of Vincent Close, said he took action because he was worried about his family's safety.

He said: "I was particularly worried about the safety of my wife when she has to pick up the children from school in dark winter evenings.

"There are also a lot of old people living in the area and they need protection because it's a robbers' paradise.

"At first I thought about starting a petition but then I decided to write to the housing society. I'm relieved so-mething is now being done."

The footpath is a popular route home for people walking from the town centre to the Forest and Queensway estates, but lighting covers only half the route.

The stretch of alley from Ruskin Avenue to the footbridge over Clacker's Brook has already been the scene of a vicious sex attack.

In Dec-ember 2001 a 19-year-old woman was subjected to a 20-minute ordeal after a stranger grabbed her in the early hours of the morning.

The attack led to a massive police inquiry nicknamed Operation Coldcall involving detectives based at Trowbridge and Melksham.

House-to-house inquiries and DNA evidence failed to net a suspect but the DNA profile of the offender will be kept on file and the investigation remains open.

A spokesman for West Wiltshire Housing Society said: "It was a good opportunity for us, the society, to make the area safer for residents. I can confirm we will be paying for them and were happy to be doing this."