Plans are already being drawn up for a bumper display of Christmas lights in Torpoint this year - with 11 months still to go to December 25.

Members of the town's chamber of commerce have been encouraged by the response to the recent display in the town centre.

The chamber spent a total of nearly £4,000 on improved lights and Christmas trees with the funding for the revamped display coming from the business community and Torpoint Town Council which contributed £1,000.

Chamber member Ray Skelly said: "Traders and shoppers were very pleased with the lights over the festive period.

A number of people said they were far superior to the city centre lights in Plymouth and some even said they were the best in the South West.

"The response has encouraged us to carry on with plans for next Christmas. Our plan is to light a wider area of the town, taking in the ferry lanes and Antony Road up to its junction with Trevol Road, if we can get the necessary permission.

"We want to use local businesses to manufacture and supply frameworks to hold the decorations.

"Some of the frameworks could have a dual purpose and stay in place for the summer months when they could be used for hanging baskets with the possibility of the town entering Britain in Bloom."

Ray, who has been to a festive lights manufacturer in Wales to see what is available, said the chamber wanted to carry the project through properly and to do so would require grant aid. He added that members would welcome guidance on the most likely sources of grants for such projects.

Part of any forthcoming grant funding would be used to provide a single power supply for all the lights. At present some of the town centre businesses have had lights plugged into supplies at their premises.

Ray envisages that a single power in the town centre could also be used during the town's carnival in the summer.

The town's Millennium Committee has donated some power supply equipment used during the Millennium party on the ferry lanes to the chamber. In response, chamber members are considering an idea to put a special decoration over the lanes at Christmas. This would display the number of the year and would change to the next year at the end of New Year's Eve.