Shifnal Christmas lights will go up

Shifnal's Christmas lights will go up this year after town councillors pledged to spend up to £20,000 to ensure the award-winning display was not scuppered by red tape.

There were fears there would be no festive lights up in the town for the first time in 25 years after a group of volunteers responsible for the display fell foul of health and safety legislation.

They were told by Shropshire Council chiefs they did not have the right insurance or qualifications to do the job.

But at an extraordinary meeting last night, Shifnal Town Council agreed to step in and spend up to £20,000 to ensure the lights were in place by the time of the big switch-on at the end of the month.

Town council clerk Fiona Thomas told a packed public gallery some lights would have to be taken down because it had been deemed they were too low and could be hit by lorries. She also said wall brackets would have to be tested along with checks on wires for length, thickness and tension.

Insurance would also have to be sought and specialists, including electricians and "street supervisors", brought in.

Mrs Thomas told the meeting that action had only been taken now because of "naivety" on the part of past town clerks, who wrongly assumed the lights volunteers were covered by the council's insurance to sort out the display.

She said: "We have been very lucky that nothing has happened before now, either to the volunteers or the public."