Medway: Christmas lights cancelled by council

The lights at the Rochester Christmas Market will not be impacted

A council has cancelled all its Christmas lights for 2023 due to a "challenging financial situation".

Medway Council in Kent said it made the "sad and difficult decision" after identifying a potential overspend of £17m for this financial year.

The council, which went from Conservative to Labour in May, said the move would save £75,000.

Council leader Vince Maple said he had "no choice but to make these tough decisions".

A report in September predicted Medway Council faces potential bankruptcy.

Mr Maple said: "We are making these incredibly difficult decisions to reduce the potential overspend and to ensure we can continue to provide essential services that we are required to provide by law.

"I am pleased local ward councillors are still able to fund a Christmas tree in each town."

"We will continue to work closely with our town centre businesses to explore further ways to support them this Christmas."

Tens of thousands of people flock to the Medway towns every December for the Rochester Dickensian Christmas Festival.

Medway Council said that event, along with a Christmas market in Rochester Castle Gardens over three weekends, would go ahead as planned.

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