BIG Brother star Craig Phillips is heading to York to launch Christmas cheer at the Monks Cross shopping park.

The charming Scouser, who won the £70,000 prize on the Channel 4 show which took the nation by storm this summer, will flick the switch to turn on this year's Christmas lights on December 1.

He will be joined by York band Huge, the switch-on also accompanied by a fireworks display.

In York city centre, the official start of the festivities will centre on one big ceremony in Coppergate following safety fears after the traditional Parliament Street event became too popular.

As numbers visiting St Nicholas Fayre, which coincides with the switch-on and sees lines of market stalls in Parliament Street, swell, the amount of people coming into the city centre for both events is judged too great to be accommodated in the street.

The Coppergate switch-on, which is usually a separate event, will now set the whole city centre ablaze with seasonal lights.

They will be switched on by panto star Berwick Kaler and the Lord Mayor, Shan Braund.

Roland Harris, chief executive of the York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, said: "The St Nicholas Fayre has grown substantially and now draws people from a very wide area.

"Last year we were getting very close to having safety problems with the amount of people in Parliament Street during the switch-on, and we felt, with police advice, it was most appropriate this year to combine it with the Coppergate ceremony, and make Coppergate the focal point."

The event, on November 23, combines with the start of the fayre and the launch of late night city centre shopping.

Mr Harris said the quality of the lights now depended very much on individual traders and streets.

But he said: "We expect a very good show."

adam.nichols@ycp.co.uk