Villagers are hoping the strange situation of a footpath left half lit by street lamps and half in darkness is set to be resolved.

Quorn was one of the first villages to volunteer to be part of a County Hall trial scheme earlier this year and had some of its street lights turned off between midnight and 5.30am to save money on electricity bills.

But the move has left a 200-yard footpath from the village churchyard to Mansfield Street, known as Love Lane, in the position of being illuminated for part of its length before being plunged into darkness halfway along.

The parish council asked County Hall if the set of street lights could be turned back on and now the authority has agreed to turn on one more light along the path.

Quorn Parish Council chairman Phil Child said: "While we are delighted to be part of the scheme and we think it is an excellent idea, we have been left in a peculiar situation with Love Lane.

"Part of it is under street lights owned by the parish council and part of it is under light owned by the county council which are now going off at midnight.

"People who set off in the light provided by the parish along Love Lane suddenly find themselves in the gloom half way along. They either have to decide to push on through the darkness but some people don't feel safe with that and they turn round and take a longer route.

"It may be surprising but quite a few people do use Love Lane even after midnight, if they are going home from the pub, an event in the village or just walking their dogs.

"I'm glad the county council has listened.

"Switching on the one street light should do it because the area is quite open but we'll have to wait and see.

"This whole scheme is a trial and there were always likely to be a few glitches to be sorted. Our half-lit Love Lane is one.

"Otherwise, the scheme seems to have gone down well."

Five street lights owned by the parish council still remain on through the night while five county council lamps turn off.

A county council spokeswoman said: "In discussions with Mr Child, we have agreed to change one of our street lights back to all-night operation.

"This was a particularly unusual situation as some of the street lights on this path belonged to the parish council and others belonged to the county council."

The county council spokeswoman could not confirm when the light would return to an all-night operation. She said no similar queries have so far been raised in other areas where the lights have been altered to part-night lighting.

They include Smeeton Westerby, Huncote, Kibworth Beauchamp, Swannington, Lubenham and Croft.

County Hall says its switching off of street lights will save £19,000 in its first year and by £700,000 each year once it is rolled out across the county.