CHRISTMAS shopping began in earnest last night with the annual switching on of the festive lights in Enfield Town.

Celebrity chef Malcolm Harradine and Father Christmas pressed the plunger in front of a crowd of shoppers to light up the streets outside Pearsons department store.

The Suella Choir and Enfield Brass Band were on hand to provide musical accompaniment for the annual event and store workers laid on mince pies and mulled wine for shoppers.

Christine Redford, assistant store manager at Pearsons, which sponsors the Christmas lights, said: “We are a traditional store and the centrepiece of Enfield Town, and we like to put on events like this to mark the start of the festive season and get everyone in the Christmas spirit.

“Things are not easy at the moment, economically, but Christmas is a time when people want to go out and spend.

“This is a family store and things are quite busy at the moment so hopefully we are all in for a good Christmas.”

The lights being turned on coincided with the relaunch of the King's Head pub opposite and town centre manager Mark Rudling was keen to highlight the signs of a thriving town.

He told the crowd: “Christmas starts here, it always does at Pearsons. This is absolutely great.

“There are only 50 shopping days until Christmas left so it's time to get out there and spend.”