IN PICTURES: St Annes Lights Switch-On

Strong winds battered the Fylde coast on Saturday evening but there was no rain to dampen people’s spirits as carnival queen Hannah Jeffrey flicked the switch.

Town mayor Vince Settle said: “We had a very nice lantern parade –there must have been about 40 lanterns.

“It was a good turnout, probably about 1,000 people in the crowd, which was very good for a windy afternoon.

“I’d say it was an excellent event.”

The crowds were also entertained by the cast of the Lowther Pavillion’s Christmas pantomime, who were at the switch-on.

The stars of Polka Dot’s production of Cinderella, which runs from December 10 until December 30, were among the attractions at the event. Coun Settle said: “They did a brilliant job.”

The event was organised by the town council, which took over the management and ownership of the town centre festive lights in 2014.

Coun Settle added: “It was very windy but at least it didn’t rain during the switch-on.”