While most of us are packing up the suntan lotion and heading off for our summer holidays, in Cullingworth they are already preparing for Christmas.

John Brigg has bought 20 artificial, three feet high trees at £1.50 apiece to brighten up the village.

The chairman of the Cullingworth Parish Council even went to the trouble of putting a sample tree in his garden for a few months earlier this year to ensure they could cope with poor weather.

And while on holiday in Holland he took time off from sightseeing to buy special brackets to support the trees. He is hoping volunteers will help put them up come December.

He decided to act after a fellow councillor commented on how well neighbouring village Den-holme's Christmas display looked.

Councillor Brigg, of Fairfax Road, Cullingworth, said: "During the summer we put hanging baskets up and we thought perhaps we ought to do something for Christmas time. I just like to see the place looking nice.

"People might be surprised and think we have gone back to April 1 but it's for real. You can't prepare too early for anything.''

Pam Hobson, of Halifax Road, Cullingworth, said: "I think it's a great idea - anything to improve the look of the village.

"I think it does need brightening up though 20 trees sounds an awful lot. It's going to be Father Christmas's grotto by the sound of it.

"Christmas seems an awful long time away but I suppose these days you do have to be on the ball. Too many of us leave it all to the last minute."

At least the artificial trees should fare better than the parish council's recent attempts at planting real ones in the War Memorial Gardens. The first one was stolen and the minutes of this month's parish council meeting recorded that the latest one had died.

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