A market town's councillors are on the hunt for a celebrity to turn on their Christmas lights – just a year after their festivities failed because of a lack of volunteers.

Watton Town Council's chairman Paul Cooper said the council should start looking for a well-known name for their event on the provisional date, December 1.

He said it would help bring a bigger audience to the area, adding: 'There are a few [celebrities] around, and if we look at the other towns in the area, they seem to get somebody worthwhile.'

Some agencies who hire out celebrities, such as TV and reality TV stars, charge a minimum amount of £500, plus VAT.

Councillor John McCarthy said he doesn't think the council should be paying, and added that they should come up with some funding for the event first.

Michael Wassell added: 'It depends what your definition of celebrity is.'

It was said last year that the cost of keeping the lights up-to-date over the previous five years was £10,000.

This year the council has suggested working more closely with the Watton Town Team, a group which looks at re-invigorating their high street, for a joint effort on the lights.

It was agreed that three councillors, Pete Blackmore, Roy Ivory and Margaret Holmes, would be working on the plans with members of the Town Team.