Corby couple ask boy battling disease to turn on their Christmas lights

Dexter with house owner Claire Marsh after turning on the Christmas lights at her home

A couple who put their Christmas lights up during the first Covid lockdown asked a boy battling a bowel disease to turn on their festive display.

Claire and Danny Marsh, from Oakley Vale, in Corby, lifted people's spirits by putting up their lights in March.

They took them down in June but put them up for Christmas on Saturday.

They were turned on by five-year-old Dexter, who said he loved to see the lights on his way to and from hospital for treatment.

Claire and and husband Danny Marsh turned on their lights in March to counter the coronavirus "doom and gloom"

Dexter's mother Nicky had told the couple how much joy the lights had brought him on his way to hospital appointments, so they asked him to do the honours.

She said Dexter, who has Hirschsprung's disease, asked her to drive "around the roundabout three or four times" every time they went past the house as he enjoyed them so much.

Mum-of-two Mrs Marsh said it was "amazing" and gave them a "warm and fuzzy feeling" to know that "just by having lights on your house you have made someone happy".

They cheered up Dexter as he was on his way to hospital, mum Nicky told the couple

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So they invited the five-year-old to turn on the lights on Saturday for this year's Christmas display

The 41-year-old said they had put the lights up in March "in a time of doom and gloom" to make "people smile".

After receiving an anonymous donation of £50, they decided to set up a fundraising page for Corby Foodbank, which raised £240.

Dexter's mum Nicky said he has been asking for his own home to lit up at Christmas