A GROUP of kind-hearted neighbours in Moreton started their Christmas celebrations by lighting up their homes for Claire House.

For the last nine years residents in Amberley Close have worked together to create a winter wonderland to raise cash for the hospice.

The lights were switched on by celebrity Liverpool hairdresser Herbert on Friday night.

The tradition, which has so far raised more than £8,000, was started by Karen and Frank Williams and next-door neighbours Peter and Sandra George.

They wanted to help towards giving the children at the Clatterbridge-based hospice a Christmas to remember.

Before the lights were turned on, Val Hollywood from Wirral Orchestra Society entertained the crowd of more than 100 people with a medley of festive songs.

Last year's switch-on raised just over £1000 and the hope is to beat that figure this time.

Before switching on the lights Herbert, who switched on the Christmas lights in Moreton Town Centre last year and put £100 into the collection box for Claire House on Friday. said: "Christmas is a great time and I’m looking forward to switching them on. It’s for Claire House, which is a wonderful charity."

Pat Farrager, Claire House fundraising manager told the Globe: "The hospice is all about the community and this is just a great example of how the community comes together to work together for a really important cause.

"There are loads of children here and hopefully they are all healthy, but that’s not the case for lots of other families out there.

"Beside the fact that this is Claire House, it's just great to see all the people here watching the switch-on.

"It’s something that they will remember for a long, long time. It’s marvellous."

Paying tribute to the public's support of the lights, Peter George said: "The public are fantastic, everyone loves it. It’s for a good cause.

"We were doing it for ourselves and then started to raise all the cash for Claire House.

"It's great to hear the kids’ reaction when they see the display. All the problems in the world disappear."