WITNEY has an extra sparkle in the run-up to Christmas after the turning on of the Christmas lights at a festive fair in the town centre.

Witney MP David Cameron, town mayor Alvin Adams, TV celebrity Mark Wells, former Oxford United manager Jim Smith, and Santa joined ten-year-old Witney Winter Princess, Amber Tarrant, to flick the switch on Friday, giving Market Square and parts of the High Street and Corn Street a multi-coloured Christmas lights display.

The event has become something of a street party, with road closures and a medley of music, entertainers and even an inflatable assault course for children in the Langdale Hall car park.

But Christmas was still the main theme for the hundreds of partygoers, many of them families, as the Voice Box Choir, King’s School Choir, and Witney Town Band rang out traditional carols Chrissie Curry, Witney town councillor, said: “It was a crisp and cold evening, and we had a super turn-out.

“David Cameron got a lovely big cheer when he was introduced, as did Mark Wells.

“It gets better every year.

“We have worked very hard on the town council along with local businesses which sponsored it to make it such a success.”

Children could get nose-to-nose with Father Christmas’ reindeer, while Witney Town Band, the Voice Box Choir, and Kings School choir entertained the crowds with Christmas carols.

A Christmas fair was held in the Corn Exchange, while the Witney Model and Collector’s Club held an exhibition in Langdale Hall.

The evening finished with a parade through the town centre, courtesy of Oxford Caledonian Pipes and Drums.

The event was organised by Witney Town Council, which also lined up exhibitions of vintage vehicles and steam traction engines and a model and collectors’ club display in the Langdale Hall, along with a charity fair in the Corn Exchange.