Aberystwyth town’s Christmas lights have already been switched on but an official virtual switch-on event will be held this week.

Menter Aberystwyth will be holding a virtual Christmas lights switch-on event on Saturday, 5 December.

But in a council meeting on Monday last week, Aberystwyth Town Council clerk Gweneira Raw Rees asked councillors to consider switching on the Christmas lights as soon as possible, which was done on Thursday.

The lights will be switched off on Saturday in preparation for the official switch-on.

“I just feel that the weather has been so bad, whether the council could consider putting them on as soon as possible? I think we could do with Aberystwyth being a little brighter,” Ms Raw Rees said.

Cllr Talat Chaudhri said he has received a suggestion from a resident to “expand” what the town council does on the promenade, perhaps working with local schools and children.

Cllr Brendan Somers, who is the council representative in Menter Aberystwyth, raised health and safety concerns regarding children creating “lighting displays on the seafront”.

Chair of the meeting, Cllr Alun Williams suggested the council get in touch with Menter Aberystwyth to discuss this further.

“If this individual would put it into some proposed form then we can discuss it,” Cllr Somers said.

Cllr Mair Benjamin said: “I think this is a really lovely idea – maybe for next Christmas because we have our new bandstand as well which could be made use of during the Christmas period.

“Since Gweneira has been the clerk and involved with One Voice Wales, we have discussed the lighting going back up on the promenade once the town is finished, now you can get short lengths of cables that could run from lamppost to lamppost.

“We could consider doing a small area around the bandstand.

“It might be worth getting together with the clerk and Menter to see what is out there now.”