How the Christmas lights used to look

by Tricia Jamieson

Police are investigating the disappearance of all of Tenterden's Christmas lights.

Strands of thousands of bulbs worth £15,000 used to decorate trees in the town centre were being stored in a shed behind the fire station at St Michael's.

But now they have gone missing. A police investigation is under way – but Tenterden and District Chamber of Commerce, which owns the lights, says the town will not be in the dark this Christmas.

Members are in a race against time to find replacements before thousands of people descend for late night shopping on Friday, December 7.

The loss of the lights was reported to the chamber by the fire station social club last week.

Chamber events officer Jonathan Medes said: "All of them have gone missing.

"They were to decorate the 22 big trees at each end of the High Street plus around 100 small trees which go up on shops and businesses – it must be thousands of bulbs.

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"Our main priority has been sourcing replacements. We are having to buy some more which is costing thousands of pounds, but it is money we have to spend because the town has to have its lights."

As well as buying replacements, chamber members have been examining their old lights to see if they can have new bulbs. The missing lights were only bought around four years ago.

Members of the fire station social club have always put up the lights but this year told the chamber they were unable to do so for insurance reasons, so someone else was found.

Chamber president Mike Carter (pictured below) said the lights had been stored by the social club for around 20 years – something denied by the club.

"Last week they informed us that the lights had gone missing," he said.

"We immediately reported this to the police, who are investigating, and we have also submitted an insurance claim."

Cllr Carter said chamber members had worked round the clock to get replacements.

New lights have been bought for the 100 trees outside High Street shops, and the chamber has also got additional sets for the bottom end of the High Street.

Cllr Carter added: "The lights will start going up, on schedule, this weekend, ready for our late night shopping. Tenterden will be putting on a great Christmas show."

A Kent Police spokesman said the disappearance was being treated as theft.

"They were stolen at some time between July 31 and September 15," he said.

Anyone with information should call 101, quoting crime reference ZY/33516/12, or Kent Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.