FIFTY Christmas trees are to be decorated and lit up for a three-day festival which has taken parishioners six months to arrange.

Volunteers have been recruited to lay dozens of yards of electric cable and erect tree stands for the event starting on Friday, December 17, in St Mary's Church, Barnard Castle, County Durham.

Local firms and organisations are sponsoring all the trees and will decorate them to show the type of work that they do.

Children will be able to win prizes by guessing the titles of carols depicted on some of the trees.

The Vicar, the Reverend Alec Harding, said yesterday, "We have been busy making plans for six months, and will be working hard until the last minute, ensuring we have enough mince pies and mulled wine for all of the visitors."

The festival will be open between 4pm and 8pm on the Friday, between 10am and 8pm on the Saturday and between 2pm and 6.30pm on the Sunday.

Father Christmas will be in a grotto on the final two days.

Admission to the event will be £3 for adults, but children will be allowed in free.

Mr Harding said the takings would be used to support the work of the church, but he hoped the festival would also attract many visitors to do their festive shopping in the town's shops.