A dad who "loves" putting Christmas lights up has been forced to limit the amount of time they're on due to the cost of living crisis.
Iain Nicol has been a mainstay in the Christmas calendar for the community around Brownmoor Lane in Crosby. For over twenty years he has decked his house with an elaborate light show that takes "weeks to set up".
However, this year with mounting energy prices he was only able to put his lights on for an hour a day. His son Paul said his dad felt like "he had let everyone down".
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Speaking to the ECHO Paul said: "This year he could not afford to do it and I think he was more upset for other people. This year was the first time he could not do it.
"He had cancer a few years ago and he still did it, nothing has really stopped him before. He was sad for the community as people love it and families bring their children by every year, it has become an event for people, they are famous on the street."
Iain started putting up Christmas lights due to a "healthy competition" with his father-in-law to see who could create the most impressive spectacle. Over the years the lights have grown progressively larger with Iain now needing to hire a cherry picker to help complete the job.
Paul, 37, said: "It used to be me and dad running up ladders with my mum shouting up at us saying we were going to get hurt. It has grown over the years. I've been with my wife for 13 years now and she knew my dad's house before she knew me.
"So he was gutted that it was not going to happen and he has been offered money over the years by people who come see them. He has never taken a penny off anyone and just does it to put a smile on people's faces."
Last night one of Paul's friends went past the house to view the house and was "gutted" to see that while the lights were up they were not on. He offered to give Paul some money so his dad could turn them on.
Yesterday Paul and his brother set up a GoFundMe to help pay for energy bills so the lights could be switched on over Christmas and have already hit their target of £400.
Paul who lives in Crosby said: "He was happy when we told him that we can switch the Christmas lights can go back on and put some smiles on people's faces again. If there is anything left over we are going to donate to a local food bank."
If you would like to donate to the GoFundMe more information can be found here.
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