Melksham: Hundreds visit lights in air ambulance fundraiser

The decorated street is raising money for Wiltshire Air Ambulance

Residents in Wiltshire have covered their houses with Christmas lights to raise money for charity.

People in Sarum Avenue have created a festive streetscape in aid of Wiltshire Air Ambulance that some are calling "Melksham's answer to the Blackpool lights".

About 20 houses have been decorated and the Melksham street has so far raised nearly £2,000.

They said the lights have attracted more than 500 visitors each evening.

Visitors have donated hundreds of pounds

'Boss elf' and organiser Terry Weaver said: "I just love Christmas. It's brilliant to see it on everyone's faces.

"It took about a month to put it up, and it gets longer every year."

Some 20 houses are decorated on the street

Mr Weaver explained he was raising money for the Wiltshire service because his mother was one of the first people to be taken in the air ambulance following a car crash in 1990. She was injured months after the service was founded.

"It saved her and it can save many more people. We want to keep it in the air for as long as we possibly can," he said.

Mr Weaver began putting Christmas lights up several years ago, but rallied the Sarum Avenue residents to raise money for charity last year.

Residents are turning on the lights every night and expect Santa Claus to make an appearance on the weekend before Christmas Day

The lights will be on every night in the run up to Christmas, and residents expect Santa to make an appearance on the weekend before 25 December.

The Wiltshire Air Ambulance costs £4m a year to be operational, which equates to around £11,000 per day, said the service, adding it relied on donations from people and businesses.