CHRISTMAS lights shone across Herefordshire over the weekend as they were turned on for the first time this year.

The streets were packed in Bromyard as hundreds of people gathered to watch the town’s grand Christmas light switch on.

People found their place in the full streets from the square to the town’s leisure centre.

Bright festive colours lit up the streets as people stared in awe.

Covering the entire central area of the town, the display is a mass of multi-coloured animated displays.

The lights were organised and erected by a group of local volunteers, who were awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Services back in 2011.

Volunteers, traders, performers, the Town Crier, Hereford Hospital Radio and Scaffolding 2000 - who provided the stage - came together to host a Christmas fayre in Ross-on-Wye’s as a part of the town’s Christmas lights switch on.

After many months of planning and organising it was a sunny day to start off the Christmas period in the Herefordshire town. A big turnout left the town buzzing with festive cheer and left Enviroability’s popular Santa’s Grotto with a large queue.

People of Leominster missed out on annual Christmas lights switch-on as the Town Council announced it would not be going ahead this year due to concerns over a rise in Covid-19 cases.

Hereford’s big Christmas lights switch-on also did not go ahead this year.

Hereford BID said Christmas lights would not be switched on at an event with a stage in High Town, but instead would just come on gradually on November 21 to avoid crowds gathering due to coronavirus.

But shoppers in Hereford will be able to take advantage of late-night openings and free parking in the run-up to Christmas.

After talking with Hereford BID, the city council and the Old Market Shopping Centre, Herefordshire Council is set to give shoppers free parking on the last three Wednesdays before Christmas.

People across Herefordshire can now see Christmas lights, trees, and decorations when in the county’s towns until the festive period ends.