A drive circuit for driving a light-emitting diode array based on an AC current supplied by an electronic ballast circuit for driving a fluorescent lighting device, the electronic ballast circuit being housed in a lighting device holder for a fluorescent lighting device, the drive circuit comprising: a first set and a second set of terminals (3105; 3110) configured to respectively connect the drive circuit to the electronic ballast circuit via a first and a second socket of the lighting device holder; a power supply sub-circuit comprising an AC/DC converter for converting the supplied AC current supplied by an electronic ballast circuit to a DC current, and further comprising an energy storage unit for at least partially storing energy of the converted DC current for driving the LED array; a safety sub-circuit including a switching unit for connecting the power supply sub-circuit to the first set of terminals or second set of terminals only when the AC current is received through a terminal of the first set of terminals and a terminal of the second set of terminals characterized in that the switching unit is realized as a relay and the safety sub-circuit comprises: a voltage regulating sub-circuit configured to provide a DC switching current at a predetermined voltage level based on the AC current received through a terminal of the first set of terminals to operate the switching unit, and a control sub-circuit configured to control the flow of the DC switching current through the switching unit in response to an AC current flowing through a terminal of the second set of terminals, to thereby control the switching operation of the switching unit. a first set and a second set of terminals (3105; 3110) configured to respectively connect the drive circuit to the electronic ballast circuit via a first and a second socket of the lighting device holder; a power supply sub-circuit comprising an AC/DC converter for converting the supplied AC current supplied by an electronic ballast circuit to a DC current, and further comprising an energy storage unit for at least partially storing energy of the converted DC current for driving the LED array; a safety sub-circuit including a switching unit for connecting the power supply sub-circuit to the first set of terminals or second set of terminals only when the AC current is received through a terminal of the first set of terminals and a terminal of the second set of terminals the switching unit is realized as a relay and the safety sub-circuit comprises: a voltage regulating sub-circuit configured to provide a DC switching current at a predetermined voltage level based on the AC current received through a terminal of the first set of terminals to operate the switching unit, and a control sub-circuit configured to control the flow of the DC switching current through the switching unit in response to an AC current flowing through a terminal of the second set of terminals, to thereby control the switching operation of the switching unit. a voltage regulating sub-circuit configured to provide a DC switching current at a predetermined voltage level based on the AC current received through a terminal of the first set of terminals to operate the switching unit, and a control sub-circuit configured to control the flow of the DC switching current through the switching unit in response to an AC current flowing through a terminal of the second set of terminals, to thereby control the switching operation of the switching unit.