YORK city centre is heading for "commercial suicide" if retailers do not back an appeal to raise £30,000 for the city's Christmas lights this year.

The warning comes from gift shop owner Peter Hanson, who paid his contribution within 30 minutes of receiving a letter from York Business Pride rallying support.

Mr Hanson, who owns The Cat Gallery in Low Petergate with his wife, Alison, said he had been amazed to learn that only "a handful" of other businesses had got behind the cause.

"The message is stark - either you make good the money or the lights won't happen. I am not supporting the campaign as an altruistic do-gooder who likes throwing money around. But it would be commercial suicide not to," he said.

The Evening Press launched the Make York Sparkle campaign after reporting a £30,000 cash shortfall in this year's Christmas lights fund last week.

Money is desperately needed to cover installation and maintenance costs for the lights over the festive season.

York Business Pride chairman Adam Sinclair said the funds had to be raised within weeks for arrangements to be made in time for the festive season.

Mr Hanson said: "Being a gift shop we are a destination shop at Christmas and we take two thirds of our money in the last six months of the year; within that Christmas is very important.

"The prospect of not having Christmas lights seems too ludicrously daft to even contemplate," he said. "I would have thought the vast majority of businesses will reap some benefits from Christmas and the lights.

"People will probably still come this year with expectations of lights. But next year they'll remember that York was dull and not particularly special."

He said Low Petergate did not have its own trading association to organize lights, but he understood why some retailers paid into a private kitty.

"Some people will have better reasons than others for not supporting the Christmas lights appeal," he conceded.

City of York Council announced last week that it was putting an extra £5,000 into the appeal pot, on top of paying for storing the lights and illuminating key locations.

Updated: 10:01 Monday, September 20, 2004