WINSFORD'S Christmas celebrations have been cancelled because they lead to too much trouble.

A celebrity usually switches on the festive lights, but organisers have cancelled the event because last year gangs of youths went on the rampage after the celebration.

Shopping centre manager Carole Lyon said: "We decided after last year's event that we would not do it again.

"We had gangs of youths kicking cars and spraying graffiti on the pillars in the town centre.

"They were fighting in the multi-storey car park so it was a nightmare for us."

Asda even decided to stop selling eggs in the run up to last year's event to reduce the amount of ammunition available to troublemakers.

However, gangs still caused chaos.

Celebrities including Chico and ex-Atomic Kitten Liz McClarnon have had the honour of turning on the lights in Winsford.

Carole said she was disappointed the minority had spoiled the Christmas fun for everyone else.

"Because of the amount of trouble we had we took the decision that we won't hold an event in the evening like that again," she said. "It is a possibility that we will hold an event in the afternoon next year but we can't do what we did last year. "We can't have gangs of youths going round causing trouble and it is a shame because a lot of people do enjoy it." Winsford town councillor Mark Nicholas is disappointed that the event cannot go ahead. He said: "It seems that the trouble caused by a few people has led to the event being cancelled which is a shame. "If they are causing trouble then I can understand why the organisers has decided against doing it again."