FRIENDS of soldier Edward Heal who was killed in a road accident in Clevedon on Christmas Day have designed special glow in the dark wristbands to highlight the need for better street lighting in the town.

Edward Heal, a trooper in the Kings Royal Hussars, was killed after he collided with a Mazda at Kenn Road at 1.15am on Christmas Day.

The 19-year-old tank gunner, who had been training for a tour of duty in Afghanistan starting in March, had been out for a drink with his step brother Sam at The Bristol pub and was understood to be on his way home when the accident happened.

The street lights along Kenn Road were turned off between midnight and 5am last year as part of a money saving move by North Somerset. The cash-strapped authority is to turn off 18,600 street lights across the district by 2104, to save an estimated £115,000 a year in energy costs.

Residents say the road is pitch black after midnight and if the lights had been on that night, the outcome could have been different.

A campaign has been launched calling for the council to switch the lights back on to improve safety in the area.

Friends of Edward have now designed special glow in the dark wristbands in memory of him. The bands feature the wording RIP Edward Heal and carry the message "be safe, be seen".

Hundreds of bands have already been sold with the proceeds being split between the charity Help for Heroes and Edward's regiment.

The bands have been produced by Edward's friend, Nicky Lee. Money for production costs was raised by Edward's friends who sold wooden crosses to be placed at a memorial set up on Kenn Road to mark the spot where the accident happened.

Mrs Lee, a 40 year old mum of three, said: "The wristbands are not only in memory of Edward but also to drive home the message at how important it is for the street lights to go back on.

"They carry the message 'be safe, be seen' which is extremely important for young people who are out and about during the dark evenings. We have sold lots of the wristbands and we will continue to fight for the lights to go back on.

"Edward is no longer with us and we are campaigning in his memory."

The wristbands are available at Vibe nightclub and at The Barn in Clevedon. There are also plans to put some in Kenn Road News opposite where the crash happened.

More than 500 people have also signed a petition calling for street lights along Kenn Road to be switched back on.

The petition, led by resident Carol Dyer, was handed to council chiefs at a Town Hall meeting earlier this month.

Edward's friends have also set up a Facebook campaign – Edward's Campaign to Get the Street Lights Switched Back on – and an online petition has already attracted nearly 800 signatures of support.