THOUSANDS packed into Church Square on Saturday to watch the St Helens Christmas lights switch on.

The event, which was moved from Victoria Square this year by organisers in an attempt to boost town centre footfall, drew hundreds of young families.

After criticisms of paying hefty fees for established acts and X Factor contestants, organisers decided to give singers from St Helens and neighbouring areas a chance to showcase their talents.

Among the singers and performers on stage was former frontman of St Helens band Stillia, Jack Bennett, who had the crowds singing along to Oasis hits Wonderwall and Champagne Supernova and Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline.

Jack Bennett belts out the tracks (Pictures by Bernard Platt)

At one point he was joined on stage by St Helens singers Kiera Weathers and Olivia Parr to perform Fairytale of St Helens.

The lyrics of Pogues’ Christmas classic Fairytale of New York, have been reworked with a St Helens flavour.

The song is to raise money for six-year-old Kaycee Bradshaw, from Sutton, who is battling Batten Disease, a neurological condition that has affected her ability to walk, talk and will lead to childhood dementia.

Fundraising events have taken place across the town to support her family as they embark on weekly journeys to Great Ormond Street Hospital for ongoing treatment and care.

Mayor of St Helens, Cllr Pat Ireland, led the switch on and was joined on stage by the likes of St Helens-born Premier League footballer Conor Coady, who captains Wolverhampton Wanderers and little Kaycee.

For the Bradshaws, the Christmas light switch demonstrated the spirit and togetherness that the people of St Helens show for each other.

Mayor Pat Ireland with some of the youngsters

The driving force behind the song is Keith Grimes, owner of KG Express and a staunch supporter of Kaycee’s family, who has previously organised events to raise vital funds for her.

The event, a change on previous years, received a mixed response on social media. Some criticised the event suggesting it should have remained in Victoria Square and that the quality of the PA system was lacking.

However, plenty enjoyed the day.

On the Star's facebook Page, Donna Bickerstaffe wrote: "My daughter had a lovely time in town. She did the rugby scavenger hunt, then had dinner (some amazing festive food on sale) did a bit of shopping, had her face painted for free, went on rides and danced and sang to some great music and some amazing local artists and entertainers.

"The street entertainers were fab too!

"Thanks for a lovely day, our feet are killing now!"

A youngster gets a lift for a better view

Alison Abbott added: "It was fantastic my mum came from Wallasey and there's none of this over there she couldn't believe how good it was so what if microphones didn't work straight away. It's live it was free it was a great atmosphere, be grateful for what you have.

"Well done to all who organised it."

Fairytale of St Helens is available to download from Spotify from Saturday and the video will be uploaded to the KG Express YouTube Channel and Facebook page. Donations can be made to support Kaycee on her Just Giving Page.

Large crowds were at the Sparkle in the Square