United Utilities has been accused of taking on average 43 days to fix the county's flickering lights.

The figures has shot up from an average of 29 days for repairs two years ago.

County Hall, which today revealed the figures, said it has been hit by a rise in complaints from residents angry that their streets have been plunged into darkness for long periods.

Malcolm Barron, West Lancashire North councillor, said it had taken United Utilities weeks to repair faulty lighting in Blackgate Lane in Tarleton.

He said: "It could be quite dangerous – there are road issues and, with the trees, people walking at night could get very nervous."

Lancashire County Council (LCC) engineers deal with faulty individual bulbs and columns while United Utilities is responsible for the power supply.

United Utilities spokesman Shaun Robinson challenged the figures provided by LCC for United Utilities' response time, saying they don't take into account the time it takes LCC to pass on complaints about power supplies – a claim denied by County Hall.

An LCC spokesman said the issue of response times would be discussed with United Utilities at a scrutiny meeting on Wednesday.