Northampton's Christmas lights switch on POSTPONED due to Storm Bert

The event was due to take place in the Market Square from midday to 6pm on Saturday November 23, with the lights turned on at 5pm.

However, due to the expected arrival of Storm Bert, organisers Northampton Town Council has made the difficult decision to postpone the event. It will now take place on Saturday November 30 between midday and 6pm.

Northampton Town Council has made this decision to "ensure the safety of the public, performers and stall holders”.

Councillor Jane Birch, Chair of the Community Services Committee at Northampton Town Council, said: "Safety is our primary concern and with the forecast of strong winds and torrential rain, we have decided that the potential risk to those attending is too great for us to go ahead.

"We have a stage and several marquees which could be seriously affected by the weather and we want the event to be as enjoyable and as safe as possible for all involved.

"The forecast is looking much better for the following Saturday and we look forward to officially switching on Northampton's lights and getting into the Christmas spirit, hopefully with a backdrop of some calmer weather.

"The five large Christmas trees around the town and at the Guildhall will be illuminated from the evening of November 22 to create a welcoming festive atmosphere for visitors and shoppers over the coming week."

Much of the UK is under a yellow or amber weather warning for rain on Saturday. Although Northamptonshire is not covered by any of the warnings, the forecast for Northampton on Saturday is more than a 95 percent chance of rain from 6am until 3pm, then at least an 80 percent chance for the rest of the day, with the addition of high winds.

Although the lights switch on event has been postponed, the launch of BID’s Santa’s Grotto will go ahead, in the warmth of Grosvenor Centre from 10.30am to 4pm.

Families will get the chance to meet Father Christmas for just £1 per family. All money raised will be donated to charity, according to BID.

Each family will get to meet Santa for five minutes, families can take their own photos and each child will receive a gift. Pre-booking on the Northampton BID website is required.

Christmas favourites the Break-Dancing Elves will now perform on the Grosvenor Shopping Centre's Upper Mall as part of the Grotto launch at 12.35pm, 1.30pm, 3.00pm and 4.00pm, along with the Cheeky Balloonist Elves who will be creating free balloon models between 11am and 4pm.