A TRADITIONAL feature of Christmas is threatening to "take over" a village street.

Some residents think the mistletoe, which can be seen growing thickly on a row of apple trees in Haxby, may have thrived because of the recent mild winters experienced in the area.

One villager, who lives nearby, described the mistletoe as growing so well it had "branches the size of dustbin lids, in a big round bowl shape".

Mistletoe is an evergreen parasitic plant that grows on apple and other mature trees throughout Europe.

Updated: 10:11 Tuesday, December 24, 2002