Council bosses have been accused of scuppering a mother's charity Christmas lights display by banning signs directing visitors to her door.

Kim Henderson, 27, has so far raised £800 for her local hospice through donations from visitors to her home, which is aglow with thousands of festive bulbs.

But council officials took the six signs down she put up to show the way through her estate.

Kim, who has a daughter Emily, aged five, was told she could have the signs back - but that if they were put up again she would be prosecuted for fly posting.

Middlesbrough Council said her only option is to apply for planning permission, adding that she would get a response by next March.

Kim, of Marton, Middlesbrough, said: "I expected their letter to add 'bah humbug' as a post script.

"All I am trying to do is raise some money for a needy and very good cause, but the council bureaucrats say I'm causing a nuisance."

Slimming instructor Kim and 31-year-old husband Jason's house has become a minor tourist attraction.

They have installed over 30,000 bulbs all over the roof, floors and garden of their four-bedroom semi and have countless flashing Santas, singing snowmen and dancing reindeers.

She even persuaded Teesside-born kids' TV presenter Kirsten O'Brien to perform the official switch-on.

A Middlesbrough Council spokesman said: "Like all towns across Britain, we have serious problems with fly posting and we simply cannot make exceptions.

"We are sorry to come down like this and we applaud her efforts for the charity - it is one we support ourselves - but we had to make this decision."