Melanie and Nick light up Duston street with display for air ambulance

Melanie and Nick's house in Duston is top to toe in twinkly lights. Pictures by Louise Smith.

Melanie and Nick Phipps, of Vienne Close in Duston, have been building on their impressive display for the past three years - adding inflatable helicopters and giant Santas as they go.

The spectacle has become a place of interest for families and children throughout December who are excited to see what new additions the couple have added to their driveway.

The charitable side of the display comes after Melanie and Nick once had to call on the air ambulance and were taken aback at how much a single mission cost.

The pair are raising for the air ambulance for the third year running throug their lights display. Pictures by Louise Smith.

"It's £1,700 a mission," Melanie said. "It is so much money they have to find. For us, it's about giving something back really.

"We try to do our bit every year and get a few more lights up each Christmas. The kids absolutely love it. I love to see all their little faces.

"The adults knock on the door and say 'it's fantastic. I want to do it to my house next year', it's lovely. We are all kids at heart aren't we?"

Last year - through their Christmas lights display - the pair raised £329. Money is collected by the couple inviting families to take a walk up their drive and donate coins in the bucket on their door.

After calling on the air ambulance themselves, they have also been holding garden parties for the past six years, and last year through their summer function and Christmas display they raised £1,100 together.

This year the display, which took two weeks to put up, features more than 50 sets of Christmas lights, which were first displayed at the start of December and will be taken down on the twelfth night, January 5.

If you want to donate to Melanie and Nick's cause, click here for their fundraising page.