SANTA Claus and his helpers are coming to the Bromsgrove district to bring plenty of Yuletide cheer and festive fun.

Father Christmas and his elves will be joining district council chairman Ted Tibby for the official Christmas lights switch on. The festive ceremonies will be held in Bromsgrove on Saturday, November 20, and in Rubery on Saturday, November 27.

There will also be a special lantern procession led by good sports from the council's summertime series of activity sessions.

Eight-year-old Marc Ward and Kate Forrester, ten, will do the honours in Bromsgrove. While Charlotte Smith, ten, and James Hart, 12, will lead the procession in Rubery.

Each 5pm switch on will be proceeded by three hours of festive fun, including face painting, rural crafts, and fire eating and juggling from Bill Brookman's Christmas Street Theatre. There will also be traditional but up-tempo Christmas carols, music from Bromsgrove samba band Someone At The Door and a visit from the Bromsgrove and Redditch Sea Cadets.

Lighting displays at both venues are set to be bigger and brighter than ever before. Bromsgrove's town centre will even feature a snow-covered mountain and other winter scenes with snow flakes, icicles and candles.

There will also be a special performance by the Alvechurch-based Banda Sem Nome samba band, around the Housman Statue in Bromsgrove High Street from 11am.

While the NewSong Community Church will provide festive music and puppet shows at 12noon and 1pm.

The actual switch on ceremonies will be held outside the Golden Cross public house in Bromsgrove's High Street and around the Christmas tree, near the police station, in New Road, Rubery.

Councillor Tibby said: "Please come along and join us. There will be lots of fun to be had and the more the merrier. We hope the festive lights and celebrations will bring plenty of colour and joy to you, your family and friends."

Children from the Worcestershire Special Olympics will help collect donations for the chairman's chosen charities - the Worcestershire Special Olympics and the Motor Neurone Disease Association.