Cycling hero Jamie Staff is turning on a second set of Christmas lights in Ashford.

The Olympic gold medalist is turning on the town centre’s lights on November 22 but will also switch them on for Ashford Designer Outlet on Thursday.

The Beijing cycling gold medallist will do this at 7pm and a fireworks display follows at 8pm.

Children’s TV characters Fifi and Bumble will greet youngsters and mums and dads will be entertained by brass band music.

There will also be a family of live reindeer there at the outlet from 1.30pm to 7.30pm and shoppers can enter a competition to name the baby reindeers.

When he switches on the town centre's Christmas lights on Saturday, November 22, he will be joined by EastEnders actress Emma Barton, who plays Honey Mitchell in the soap, and television presenter Stephen Mulhern.

Emma and Stephen are starring in this year’s Marlowe Theatre pantomime.

The trio will launch the town centre’s Winter Festival programme, with traders desperate to see shoppers return in numbers after a year of construction disruption.

On Friday and Saturday, November 28 and 29, a European-style market will be held in the new Elwick Square and up the length of Bank Street together with the regular market stall traders.

Other planned attractions include live reindeer on show in Park Mall and five of the famous Kentish Giants on parade in County Square.