THE streets of Hampshire are set to benefit from a record multi-million pound investment in lighting.

Transport minister Rosie Winterton has announced a £225 million Private Finance Initiative investment in street lighting in Hampshire, Southampton and West Sussex.

The biggest streetlighting PFI ever will allow Hampshire County Council, Southampton City Council and West Sussex County Council to upgrade 165,000 streetlights over the next 25 years.

The next stage in the process is for the Councils to select a potential partner who will undertake the work. When this is complete, work could start in 2009 in each area.