Residents on the Romansfield estate in Okehampton can rest easy following a successful campaign to install working streetlights on the roads after two car thefts.

Last week, housing developer Redrow, responsible for the estate, finally turned on streetlights along Romansfield roads after an Okehampton resident campaigned for their installation to keep Romansfield residents safer.

The campaign was launched by Gabbie King, organiser of the Keeping Okehampton Safe group, after she heard that there had been two car thefts and one attempted car theft on the estate and determined to campaign for better streetlighting in the area to deter future thieves.

Gabbie said: “Some people didn’t feel safe and I wanted people to feel safe in their own homes.

“I contacted the police, looked at Neighbourhood Watch but because it’s a new build it’s not on the map, I contacted Redrow and I spoke to residents who said there were no lights. I went down there and it was pitch black.”

Redrow has now acted on Gabbie’s and Romansfield residents’ requests for the streetlights to be turned on and the estate finally lit up last Tuesday evening (December 12).

It is hoped that this will ensure households feel safer and will deter thieves from targeting the estate again.

This is not the end for Gabbie though as she said that she would continue to look into the Neighbourhood Watch scheme and work to ensure that it covers the whole of Okehampton.

Gabbie set up Keeping Okehampton Safe after her son, along with two friends, was attacked in Simmons Park earlier this year, which led her to start campaigning for more police on the Okehampton streets in order to make the town safer.

Devon and Cornwall has one of the lowest crime rates in the country and police have previously reassured residents that Okehampton is a safe town in which to live.