CHRISTMAS spirit flowed through Fordingbridge on Friday night as the town held its annual lights switch-on event, which attracted the highest number of visitors in living memory.

Fordingbridge shone as more people than ever lined the streets to celebrate this year, after recent fears that the Christmas lights were to be scrapped due to rising council costs and road dangers posed to the volunteers who hang them.

But the town council, the Rotarians and Sandleheath electrical firm STN Solutions have worked hard to keep Fordingbridge twinkling for the next three years.

The Christmas lights were switched on at 6pm, starting the festivities, which included a brass band and carol singing outside the town council offices.

Cash tills rung throughout the night with traders claiming it was the busiest evening they have ever known.

Mayor Malcolm Connolly said: “We have estimated that about 1,000 people came to Fordingbridge on Friday, with many visitors travelling from places like Andover, Portsmouth and Winchester.

“The carol singing proved to be such a popular event that we ran out of hymn sheets. All in all, it was a very good night for everybody.”