SANTA will be skipping for joy.

Not only is York to get some decent Christmas lights this year, but festive shoppers might even be able to take advantage of some cut-price parking.

We, like Santa, welcome the fact that York council has found £20,000 for this year's display.

But what we really need is a concerted effort in the city to fund lights every year.

It really is ridiculous that a city like York should have to go through such an unseemly panic every year about whether it can afford a decent Christmas show.

The truth is we can't afford not to have one.