Ho no! Xmas lights up ten weeks early

YULE never believe it! A town has put up its Christmas lights — TEN WEEKS before the big day.

The local council said it had to start early because it is relying on volunteers giving up their weekends. But residents in Coleford, Gloucs, say the displays of santas, snowmen and angels have been put up too soon. Becky Borck, who runs the town’s Angel Hotel, said: “It’s gone a bit too far when even my seven-year-old son is saying the lights are too early. We’ve not even had halloween and bonfire night yet. “I understand they like to be prepared but this is erring slightly too much on the side of caution.” Tory councillor Denis Riley said: “Unfortunately this kind of thing happens all over the place. There’s always the risk of people becoming bored of the lights.”

But 71-year-old Bryan Marrot — who helped put up the lights in summer-like sunshine — explained: “We need safety contracts and insurance to cover working on the ladders and using cherrypicker cranes. “Then doing all the safety checks takes a lot of time so we start as early as possible to make sure we have them done in time.” He added: “The lights look absolutely fantastic. “There will be plenty more decorations to go up which we will be working on before the lights are switched on at the end of November.” The £7,000 display will be left up until January.