EXTENSIVE changes are being planned for the Devizes Christmas lights switch-on event following complaints from traders in the town.

Hughmark, the commercial company which has organised the Christmas market in the town for the last two years, is not being brought in for this year's event on November 26.

Instead, shops will be asked to set up stalls in the Market Place as part of a much more community-orientated event. A lantern-lit procession is planned to accompany Father Christmas into the Market Place and a firework display will herald the switching on of the lights.

A committee including members of the Chamber of Commerce, the town council, Devizes Lions Club and individual traders has been set up under the umbrella of the Devizes Development Partnership.

At the first meeting last Wednesday, Dave Buxton, who was instrumental in revamping Devizes Carnival, was confirmed as chairman.

He said: "There is going to be a complete change in the way we organise the switching on of the lights. We needed to do something different as there had been a number of comments received about the Christmas market.

"There will not be the same range of stalls.

"We want to make it a much more local event and get traders to have stalls instead."

A survey among traders showed there was concern about the quality of goods on sale at the Christmas market over the last two years.

One trader remarked: "I am afraid to say the Devizes Christmas Market is a load of old tat."

However, the market was lucrative and the partnership was able to hand over £1,000 to the town council following last November's event.

The money was enough to purchase an extra string of lights for the town's Christmas display.

This year a glossy brochure will be produced giving details of the programme.

The committee has also addressed the question of revamping the town's Christmas lights, but Mr Buxton warned that it could be a more long-term project and could prove to be expensive.