A GRANDMOTHER who has raised £10,000 for local charities from her annual display of Christmas lights is preparing to pull the plug on the spectacle.

Elizabeth Frost has generated the cash for local charities in the eight years she has decorated her house and garden in Nunthorpe, Middlesbrough, with festive lights and decorations.

Mrs Frost, who spends three months setting up the lights, says age is catching up with her. She is willing to sell many, but not all of her lights, to a successor.

"It takes a lot of organising and I am in the 60s club now," she added. "It is a lot of responsibility and I am hoping to get someone else interested in doing it. But I wont be selling all my lights."

The theft of an illuminated Santa and other lights from her garden last year, forced her to link her displays to an alarm system.

She admits friends are getting a little sceptical, saying she has threatened to give up her charity display every year for the past three years.

Her grandchildren, Jessica, ten, and Dominic, six, switched on the lights at her home in Egton Avenue, last night.

Mrs Frost said: "I have loved Christmas lights since I was a little girl. The highlight of my year was decorating the Christmas tree.

"When I moved here, I put a few Christmas lights on the tree, then I added more and then more. And it grew from there. We have lights on the roof and everywhere and it has got a bit big."

Mrs Frost added: "If you saw the children's faces when they see the lights, it's worth all the effort. It is something money can't buy. Some adults are reduced to tears."

She has had a bumper Christmas lights display at her home and garden for the past 15 years, but started to use the display to raise money for charities eight years ago.

All contributions from visitors to her lights this year will go to the Butterwick Children's Hospice and the Daisy Chain appeal to set up a respite home for autistic children.