A small sum of money could make all the difference when it comes to ensuring that Sheerness High Street is full of sparkle this Christmas.

Sheila Smith, secretary and treasurer of the Sheerness Christmas Lights Association, says if businesses and townspeople could work together to raise just £5,000 the town centre could have a bright Christmas.

The association was left devastated by the theft of its Christmas lights in February, when displays worth £150,000 were stolen from their storage place behind Brittain and Hobbs in the High Street.

Now with the season fast approaching, Mrs Smith, owner of Rainbow Jewellers, says she is concerned the association will not be able to do the town proud at such an important time.

She said: “We have just eight or nine sets of lights left, which means we will only be able to decorate the clock tower and a little bit of the High Street.

“It’s a shame because people always tell me how much they admire the lights – they create such a nice Christmas atmosphere.

“If the High Street doesn’t look nice and festive then people will shop elsewhere.”

Mrs Smith has calculated that by raising £5,000, lampposts could be decorated with twinkling lights – allowing the whole shopping area to shine.

Martin Fitch, owner of Fitch’s newsagent in the High Street, is vice chairman of the Christmas Lights Association and is backing Mrs Smith’s calls for action: “It will be such a shame for the town to not have any proper lights and I’m all for doing everything we can to change that.”

He added that people could bring donations to his shop, or to Mrs Smith at Rainbow Jewellers. In the meantime businesses will be contacted to make donations to the fund.

Mrs Smith said: “We’re not looking for praise – all we need is a bit of support from people because we are doing it for the town.”

A Kent Police spokesman said: “We investigated the report of theft and conducted a number of lines of inquiry, including visits to local scrap yards.

“We updated the victim to advise that the report would be filed until the time that any further information came to light. No arrests were made in relation to the reported theft.”