THEY say Christmas starts earlier and earlier each year – but for residents of Holmfirth it never ended, because the town’s Christmas lights were left up for the whole of 2008 after the organisers’ funds dried up.

This year the twelfth night of Christmas next Tuesday should see the much maligned lights taken down and safely packed away for 2009 after members of the Holme Valley South Area Committee reluctantly stepped in to finance the £1,758.66 work.

But having given the green light for a £1,000 grant the three-man Tory committee said it was the last time they would ever cough up after it was revealed that almost £26,000 had been gifted to the Holme Valley Business Association for Christmas Lights and folk festivals in the past five years alone.

Clr Nigel Patrick, said: "We must have contributed towards different Christmas light shows three or four times. Christmas lights is probably nearly £24,000 on its own, never mind the folk festival.

"The street lights are getting very scratty because of the Christmas lights – we’re always getting complaints about this. It’s going to cost £3,000 to repaint the tops of the street lights.

"I feel like they’ve got us over a barrel, I’m not happy about it because they are more and more reliant on us."

Clr Ken Sims said that he recognised health and safety regulations were forcing costs up but added:

"Enough is enough, they (the Holmfirth traders) are going to have to get their act together," he said.

‘Traders will have to work at it like we used to do’

"I know there’s been some unfortunate goings on, but they are going to have to find some money themselves.

"They will have to work at it like we used to."

Joint president of the Holme Valley Business Association, Caroline Anstey, said she wasn’t sure if it spelled the end for the lights.

"It’s something we will have to have a meeting about, it depends on how much businesses feel they benefit from the lights and want to contribute.

"Perhaps it will be scaled right down?

"Some businesses in Norridge Bottom got together and did their own thing this year, maybe that will happen more?" she added.

Some famous faces have been in Holmfirth to switch on the lights show including ex-Rolling Stone Bill Wyman, comedian Bobby Ball and Bachelor Con Clusky.