The borough will soon be seen in a new light when Croydon Council ploughs £30million into improving its outdated street lights.

In September Croydon Council's cabinet is expected to consider detailed plans to improve the town's street lights, most of which are between 35 and 45 years old and do not meet modern European standards.

The plan is also likely to introduce provision for the town and district centres to have individual styles of street lamps at an estimated cost of £30million.

Currently there are 23,000 lights in Croydon and the council is hoping to increase this number to around 30,000 to help improve road safety and reduce crime.

The first of the new street lights are likely to be installed in 2005.

Last year Councillor Gerry Ryan, cabinet member for streets and environment services, pledged to organise the upgrading of and have work started by the end of 2006.

He said: "Despite upgrading in key areas, Croydon's street lights are not as good as we would like them to be. We have strongly developed ideas of what we would like to see in place around the borough, preferably introduced as part of a six-year programme.

"New lights do not come cheaply and we are still examining the most cost-effective and manageable way of going ahead. However, I am confident that we will be able to come up with a practical and affordable way of carrying out this massive investment."