CHRISTMAS may seem a long way off, but Stroud Town Council is already struggling to find some lights appropriate for the town.

At a meeting on Monday, July 7, councillors could not come to a decision about the lights. They decided the old Christmas lights were no longer suitable and were uneconomical, despite several recent attempts to repair them.

A lighting company gave the council the option of renting either tri-colour festoon lights or LED icicles for £50,000 for a five year lease- but councillors considered this to be too far over-budget.

Councillors also toyed with the idea of not having any lights at all, but decided this may put off Christmas shoppers- who may in turn choose to shop in another town.

Stroud Mayor Amanda Moriarty decided to postpone the decision to give the councillors more time to think and come up with a decision.