Family’s Christmas lights are so bright ‘RAF use them as landmark’

‘After a year off, we are back with even more lights and more hope than ever,’ Jeremy and Mandy Voakes say

Couple put up more than 150,000 lights requiring 16,000 watts to power (Jeremy Voakes)

A family have put up a Christmas lights display that is so bright the property could reportedly be viewed by RAF aircraft.

Jeremy and Mandy Voakes spend six months of each year setting up and then taking down the 150,000 light bulbs, which need 16,000 watts of power, around their house in Morecambe, Lancashire.

The decorations, which feature a nativity scene and Santa Claus and will also host a rainbow tribute to the NHS this year, are so visible they are said to have been used by RAF pilots as a local landmark along the Cumbria coast.

Over the last 20 years, the couple have helped raise £20,000 for the NSPCC, and so far this year they have raised £1,648. They hope to raise £4,000 in total.

“It's 2020, and we are back!” the couple wrote on their fundraising page. "After a year off, we are back with even more lights and more hope than ever that we can raise money for NSPCC – as we all know, charities need our help more than ever during the current times.

“We hope you enjoy our new rainbow addition to say an extra special thank you to all keyworkers. We would love to see you all visiting and enjoying the lights for yourself – social distanced, of course.”

Mr Voakes told The Sunday Times: "I probably am obsessed.

"Everybody has had such a tough year this year because of the pandemic that we thought: why not try to put a smile on everyone’s faces?”

Ms Voakes told the paper: “I just accept it, to be honest.

“He loves doing it. Just when I think we’re finished, he’ll go into the garage and fetch another box of lights and I’ll think, ‘Oh, no, there’s more to go!’”

The light show will last until 5 January.

It comes as another couple have been forced to pull the plug on their extensive Christmas lights display following complaints about social distancing.

Dan and Mark Extance-Warr have had to turn their annual lights off after someone phoned Avon and Somerset Police reporting that hundreds of people had turned up to view the display, Somerset Live reported.

In a post on Facebook, the couple wrote wrote: "We are sorry but we have had to turn the lights off, due to someone phoning the police about social distancing.

"We have asked this time and time again. We have also had a lot of people visiting from tier three areas.

"The police have said, we have manned the lights perfectly, but unfortunately a small amount have ruined it for everyone else.

"We will be off for a few days and will try again when we feel safe to do it."