WEYMOUTH town centre erupted into a glittering show of seasonal colour when Christmas lighting was switched on.

The ceremony was performed outside the Marks and Spencer store in St Mary Street by Weymouth and Portland Borough Mayor Councillor Joy Stanley.

She had earlier headed a Christmas procession of vintage and classic vehicles, the land train, children in fancy dress and panto characters which started out from Brewers Quay on Saturday afternoon and wound its way over the Town Bridge and up the main shopping street to the lighting point.

The event was sponsored by Balloons for Pleasure and HSBC and, as a large crowd chanted for the switch-on, hundreds of balloons were released in a special competition for family tickets to the Peter Pan panto at the Pavilion.

Mrs Stanley said: "Switching on the lights is really the start of Christmas for me and it is very exciting.

"Hopefully it will bring happiness to everyone, particularly the lonely and those less fortunate than the rest of us, and it also gives me a chance to wish everyone a very happy Christmas."

Weymouth and Portland Chamber of Commerce organised the event and its president Tony Harris said: "What a brilliant day to officially start the festive season. We hope that the town reaps its benefits and that the shoppers find lots of Christmas bargains."

Crowds in St Mary Street enjoyed the entertainment and rained an enormous volley of boos for Peter Pan's arch panto enemy Captain Hook, played with gusto by Mark Sell.

Once chains of festive lighting and seasonal decorations were shining down on the town the procession continued on up St Mary Street before swinging back down St Thomas Street.