COUNCIL chiefs at the financially squeezed town hall have revealed St Helens' Christmas lights switch on will cost more than £40,000 – but claim to have halved the cost of last year's event.

The event in Victoria Square takes place this Saturday and will include the likes of Ex-Girls Aloud singer Nadine Coyle.

It will also feature appearances from Emmerdale's TV Star and Inside Soap best actor winner, Michael Parr, Saints players Alex Walmsley and Tommy Makinson; Tyrers Department Store Father Christmas, and boxer Martin Murray.

Last year the overall cost of music acts was £45,000, while a further £37,600 was spent on lighting and decorations. The Lightning Seeds, who were paid £10,000, were top of a bill which also saw Scouting for Girls, paid £15,000.

It saw the council drawn into national criticism after reports stated town halls in 2014 had forked out more than £750,000 on booking celebrities to appear at events.

But the council argue that events like the Christmas lights switch on offer community benefits, by giving families the chance to come together for some seasonal enjoyment and that the local economy benefits too, with thousands of people arriving in the town centre.

A council spokesman said: "Despite the financial pressures the council is under, we are determined to ensure that our hard-pressed residents have some seasonal cheer in 2015.

"For this year's Christmas lights switch on we have managed to assemble a great line up that appeals to all ages for just over £40,000 – approximately half the cost of last year's event."

Government grant reductions mean the council is forecasting future savings requirements will reach £23 million over the next two years, with £13 million to be found over the course of 2016/2017.

The council has already slashed £65 million from budgets in the past five years, losing 1,700 jobs.