A RETIRED rocket and bomb engineer has hit out at ‘dangerously-exposed’ and ‘tilting’ lampposts along one of Weymouth’s busiest roads.

Dr Fred Beardshall has declared that the town’s lampposts look like ‘something out of Alice in Wonderland’ and expressed concern about the street light replacement under way along Dorchester Road.

Dr Beardshall, who used to work for Bristol Siddeley Engineers – part of British Aerospace – said: “Those holes dug down by the side of lampposts along the road are disgraceful.

They should be using triangular supports holding them in place or to dig a hole and fill it straight away.

“Instead they’ve dug all the holes along the road in advance to save time but if you get high winds they’ll come crashing down.

“If they crashed down on a car, it would be disastrous.”

The Dorchester Road resident added: “This town is full of tilting lampposts.

“It’s like Alice in Wonderland with them all leaning at crazy angles – particularly one in Melcombe Avenue.”

The street light replacement scheme on that route is being undertaken by Rob Burton Limited, working on behalf of Southern Electric, contracting in partnership with Dorset County Council.

A Southern Electric spokesman said: “I can’t stress enough that there’s no problem at all with the situation of lampposts – or columns as we like to call them – in Dorchester Road.

“These columns are about 12 metres high with two metres underground.

“Our engineers got their levels out and checked – they’re totally erect – there’s no danger.”

The spokesman said electrical engineers would be going to Dorchester Road to work on the cables that supplied power for the streetlights.

He added: “Everything should be completed by the end of the week.

“There’s no danger at all of the columns in Dorchester Road – no safety risk.”

A Dorset County Council spokesman said: “All streetlights in Weymouth and Portland are being replaced over the next three years as part of the county council’s initiative to upgrade Dorset’s street lighting. If anyone is concerned that a streetlight is tilting, they should report it by calling Southern Electric Contracting on 0800 0684145.

“An engineer will come out to assess it and, if need be, replace it.”