Thieves steal festive lights (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Thieves steal festive lights

10:26am Wednesday 6th December 2006 in News By Lewis Cowen

Fed up families in Waylands, Devizes, are having to mount a vigil to protect their displays of Christmas lights which have raised thousands of pounds for charity.

The first Joe and Jenny Hughes knew that their festive illuminations had been plundered was when the Merry Christmas Santa that had been fixed to the front of their house was left on their doorstep in a plastic bag on Monday.

Mrs Hughes said: "Joe went out to check and, sure enough, it was missing. It had been snipped off the wall."

The couple and their neighbours across the road, John and Julie King, have been in friendly competition over the years to mount the biggest and most colourful Christmas lights display in the town.

They join forces to raise money for various charities, this year's recipient being Cancer Research UK in memory of Mrs Hughes' father, Eric Clifford, who died in September of cancer.

But now they are having to keep a watch out for pilferers, whom they suspect of stealing the decorations to sell to buy drugs.

Mrs Hughes said: "We will be on the lookout from now on. At 3am on Monday morning I heard a car moving slowly down the street and then reversed back up.

"You shouldn't have to do things like this. It unnerves you."

People come from far and wide to see the displays at the two houses and contribute to charity. Over the years, the two families have been able to present £900 to Wiltshire Air Ambulance, £600 to Canon's House children's home, while last year's collection raised £275 for Breast Cancer Care.