Birstall will be short on Christmas cheer this year after Christmas lights organisers failed to find an electrician willing to fit the village's decorations.

A last minute appeal has been made to find an electrician to plug-in 500 metres of lights and a dozen displays by November 30.

But members of the Birstall Improvement Group, which organises the lights, say they are resigned to suffering a gloomy Christmas season.

Group chairman Dave Harrison said: "We could get the money to pay for the lights but we can't get anyone to put them up.

"It's a real shame for Birstall, we've had as many as 4,500 people come for the switch-on and the lights really set the mood for Christmas."

Mr Harrison said the village's Christmas lights had been improved each year since they were first bought with money donated by local people nine years ago.

Each year the improvement group members have managed to raise the money needed to fit the lights but finding electricians willing to take on the job has always been a problem.

Last year's electrician charged £2,500.

"The electrician puts them up and takes them down but he also has to maintain them if anything goes wrong which I think puts them off," said Mr Harrison.

"The lights were going to be switched on on November 30 but everything is going to have to be cancelled."

Vice chairman of Birstall Chamber of Trade, Peter Coomber said traders would be disappointed by the news.

He said: "It's a real shame, switch-on night has become a real event for the kids.

"The lights bring a real atmosphere of Christmas to the place and I know the organisers have put in a lot of work to make them better each year."

Anyone willing to put up the lights can contact Mr Harrison on (01924) 472968.

RESIDENTS and traders in Heckmondwike meanwhile are set to enjoy a brighter Christmas season with more lights being erected this year.

Richard Walker, president of the town's chamber of trade which is organising the lights for the second time, said displays would extended onto side streets and hopefully down to the town's Morrisons supermarket.

He said: "Our vice-chairman is an electrician so we can put up the lights ourselves."

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