ANGRY Rossendale shopkeepers will not dip into their tills to pay for Christmas lights in the Valley, a traders boss has insisted.

Rossendale Council has pulled the plug on festive lights in Haslingden, Rawtenstall and Bacup as part of a cost-cutting exercise. The £10,860 saved will go towards providing disabled access to the town hall.

But shopkeepers' leader Tony Winder today slammed the council for turning shoppers away from the Valley. He said: "The other East Lancashire towns have a celebrity switch-on of Christmas lights. All Rossendale gets is a switch-off."

Mr Winder, President of the Rossendale Chamber of Commerce, accused the council of failing to back traders.

He said: "The Chamber of Commerce is doing everything it can to attract people into the Valley, with events such as the Motor Bike Show. Not having Christmas lights is going to turn people away." Mr Winder said he would be raising the issue at the next meeting of the Chamber, but said he was confident traders would not be prepared to foot the bill.

"If the traders have got to pay for lights, that money has to come either from the public through increased prices or from traders' own profits.

"Many businesses are struggling to survive already because of the financial strains put on them. From the council alone we face increases in the Uniform Business Rate and extra charges for refuse collection and for removing cardboard boxes and waste paper.

"The council has increased the costs of running a business in Rossendale. I can't see traders wanting to subsidise the Christmas lights.

"Perhaps the council leader can be invited to officially switch the lights off."

Rossendale Council raised council taxes by an average of 6.65 per cent. The Christmas lights were part of a £207,550 cost-cutting package which has also hit councillors' and mayoral expenses.

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