TEN thousand street lights have been replaced with more efficient LED lanterns as part of a three-year upgrade plan.

The scheme, from North Yorkshire County Council, began last October and aims to have 25,500 new street lights installed by next April.

It has already resulted in nearly 1,000 tonnes of C02 reduction.

And as well as being better for the environment, the new lights have lower running costs and will be cheaper to maintain.

County Councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for highways, said: “We are ahead of schedule with the installation of the new lanterns and we are well on the way to reaping the financial and environmental benefits that this significant investment in the county’s street lighting will bring.

“It is essential that we spend money on modernising our street lights to guard against rising energy prices and spiralling maintenance costs.”

The county council maintains 50,400 of the county’s street lights which cost £2.1 million to power and £1.2 million to maintain in 2017.