Youngster John Bruce may only be five years old, but he is about to put Dartford up in lights.

He will join Olympic athlete Adam Gemili and comedian Les Dennis next weekend to turn on the town’s Christmas lights, in front of a huge audience.

John, who goes to Holy Trinity CE Primary School, spent days colouring a Cinderella coach for the competition – even making mum Sally take him shopping half way through on an emergency glitter run.

He lives with his mum, dad John and sisters Danielle, 12, and Alivia, 17, in Chatsworth Road, Dartford.

Sally, 40, said: “He is so excited to be the winner. He had been asking us all for ages if we thought his picture was good enough, but he wouldn’t leave it alone and was determined to put his own uniqueness into it.

“He wrote his name and did some drawings of his own and when I thought he couldn’t do any more, we had to get the glitter.

“We very nearly missed the deadline and had to rush into town to get his entry in just on time.”

Children were asked to colour in a drawing of Cinderella’s pumpkin coach in a competition backed by the Messenger.

John, who loves colouring, has been to the light switch-ons with his family since he was a baby.

Housewife Sally added: “He is so excited to be up on stage with Father Christmas in front of us all because he has such good memories of going ever since he can remember.

“He just keeps saying how he can’t believe he’s won, although he does think he worked hard enough to be the winner.

“We’ve got a big family so they’re all ringing him up to congratulate him and his head teacher announced it to the whole school during assembly.”

John was one of the youngest to enter the competition, which was for five to 11-year-olds.

He will be getting on stage with Family Fortunes star Les Dennis, former Dartford pupil Adam Gemili and Father Christmas on Saturday, November 16 at 5pm in Dartford’s High Street.

Judges for the competition included town centre manager Lewis Kirnon and Orchards Shopping Centre manager Debra Carey.