WARMINSTER’S Christmas lights could be under threat because of a lack of volunteers to put them up.

The Warminster Christmas Lights Committee has told Warminster Council that it is disbanding after several key volunteers either retired or stepped down because of work commitments.

The letter asked the council – which grant £5,000 every year to help with the maintenance and purchasing of new equipment for the display – to consider taking on the provision of the lights.

However, volunteers would be needed to help put up the lights and the Christmas trees outside businesses, and organise the lantern workshops and parade, including arranging the street entertainment, synchronising the switch-on and applying for the road closure.

Alan Richardson, 72, of Thornhill Road, Warminster, who retired from the committee after volunteering for more than 17 years, said: “I just decided that at my age I had had enough of climbing up ladders every year.

“It’s time that the council take it over but whether they will I don’t know.

“I don’t think people realise what it takes to put on an event like this and I do worry about the future of the event as even if the council take the responsibility of it on they just don’t have the man power to do all the trees and lanterns.

“I think there would be quite an outcry in the town if there were no Christmas lights.”

Councillors at Warminster Town Council's finance and assets meeting on March 2 were thankful for all the work done by the committee and were unanimous in agreeing that every effort should be made to ensure the town continues the display.

This included looking into an outside company to put up, maintain and store the lights.

Cllr Paul Batchelor said: “At present there is no one on the council who has the right qualifications to run or set up the Christmas lights but the council have put forward that we want to find someone who could put up and store the lights for us.

“We should have a list of potential firms that could do this by the next finance and assets meeting in a few weeks.

“I don’t think it will happen that we won’t have any lights this year but if it did then perhaps it would be a wake-up call for people to volunteer and I think it would be sorely missed.”

For anyone interested in volunteering for the Christmas lights contact the council at admin@warminster-tc.gov.uk or on 01985 214847.