Commuters and pupils at a Watford secondary school are carrying torches in a bid to stay safe using a busy footpath in West Watford as every streetlight remains broken - three weeks after the faults were reported.

The three streetlights in the footpath between Wiggenhall Road and Lady’s Close are out leaving people using the route in complete darkness during the afternoons.

The footpath is also very close to by Watford Grammar School for Girls and pupils often use it as a cut through.

One parent said she has been picking up her daughter from an after school club because it is too dangerous for her to walk home alone.

Maria Davies, 44, of Cassiobury, said: "The footpath is the most direct route home. It’s pitch black now, there’s been muggings, drug dealing and a woman attacked down there before.

"I don’t know why it hasn’t been fixed yet. Several people have reported it.

"A lot of people who work in London and commute, like me, also use that path. Now everyone is carrying torches.

"My daughter is at Watford Grammar School for Girls, she is in an after school club which finishes at 4.30pm. I have to go and collect her now, I don’t want her to walk home through the footpath."

The broken street lights were reported on the Hertfordshire County Council fault reporting website in November.

Contractors attended this week, but determined the problem had to be fixed by UK Power Networks.

Ward councillor Nigel Bell said the lights needed repairing as a priority before the footpath became an antisocial behaviour hotspot.

Mr Bell said: "I am concerned at the time this is taking and the fact a well used pathway next to the Grammar school is leaving schoolchildren and families feeling vulnerable from early evening

"It’s been at least three weeks. It has to be a priority to get these back on for the sake of local children, parents and everyone in that area before we get antisocial behaviour down there."

Jo Barnet, of Ringway who carry out maintenance and repair work on behalf of Hertfordshire County Council, said the case had been marked as "urgent".

She said: "Three lampposts in Lady’s Close have been reported as out. We did attend this week, however the fault was in the mains cable. As such the case has been referred to the UK Power Network. We have marked the repair as urgent as it is a footpath used by students from the nearby school."