York vowed today to give shoppers a Christmas lights display to be proud of this winter.

A new scheme was launched to help ensure the city centre puts on a sparkling festive show to match rival northern cities.

And for the first time the City of York Council has agreed to match all donations pound-for-pound up to a fixed limit.

The initiative won an immediate £1,000 donation from the Evening Press to help get the ball rolling, along with a personal pledge of support by York's new Lord Mayor, Councillor Derek Smallwood.

He told guests at today's mayor -making ceremony he had set himself a target of ensuring York has its best-ever lights display next Christmas, thus extending the tourist season.

"The idea of suitable lights has been around a long time but I intend to bring my best endeavours during the year to make this dream a reality," he said.

"I want lights that will draw people from home and abroad, exploiting the exposure success of ECOFIN by enticing people to take a winter break in York for Christmas shopping, winter sales and the beauty that York's history and tradition offers."

York has struggled for many years to put on a display to rival lights in other Yorkshire cities such as Leeds.

The problems culminated last year when a scheme to project computerised images on to prominent buildings was withdrawn less than a week after its launch, because of technical difficulties.

"Over the last 15 years, York's display has been well below par and it has been outshone by Selby and Malton," said Adam Sinclair, chairman of the York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce retail committee which spearheaded the initiative.

He urged traders to join together on a street-by-street basis to put forward proposals and come up with 50 per cent of the cost of schemes.

York & County Press managing director Daphne Ellis said the Evening Press's donation reflected its desire to be fully involved with the community, and she hoped it would kick start a new era for Christmas lights in York.

"I spent my first Christmas in York last year and the lights, in a city which would lend itself beautifully to a superb Christmas display, were disappointing."

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