Telford neighbours put up Christmas decorations early to ease lockdown

Decorations have been put on all four houses in the Gordon Road cul-de-sac

Christmas-loving neighbours on a cul-de-sac have joined together to decorate their houses early to spread cheer during the second lockdown.

The houses on the street off Gordon Road, Trench, in Telford, Shropshire, have been covered in hundreds of lights, dozens of inflatables and tinsel.

Resident Angela Weston said they wanted to do something to "cheer people up".

The four houses held a street "switch-on" on 1 November.

Neighbour Tracey Ball said: "We normally put up decorations but this year we thought we would do it together and have a switch-on together and do it all a bit earlier."

She said people had been driving past to see the lights in a safe way during the restrictions.

"It is nice to see the faces on the kids... and I've got some more decorations coming tomorrow," Mrs Ball said.

Tracey Ball and Angela Weston are among residents who have decorated their homes

Ms Weston said: "You have the odd person moaning [about putting them up too early], but I said, while they have been whinging, that's two minutes where they haven't been thinking about Covid.

"I have two kids under three and they love it.

"It is our daily routine now before bedtime that we go and look at the Christmas lights.

"First it was just down here, now we go looking for them because they are popping up here and there."

Residents said they wanted to use the hundreds of lights and inflatables covering the houses to "cheer people up"

They are already planning for next Christmas.

"We're going to make it bigger and better, said Ms Weston. "Everybody loves it."