Bradford Council branded 'Grinch' over decorations warning

Workers were banned from sticking, pinning or nailing Christmas decorations to council buildings.

They were also warned any lights would have to be “low energy” or face removal.

Coun Simon Cooke, leader of the Conservative group on Bradford Council, said the guidelines did not leave staff with many options.

He said: “Whilst I can to an extent understand the motivation behind preventing staff from attaching decorations to walls, due to pin holes and the possible removal of a bit of paint, it seems like overkill to me.

“I put Christmas decorations up every year and my house has never looked worse for wear for it.

“I have complained in the past about the council over reacting to silly little things and I think that in insisting that only LED Christmas lights are allowed, with the threat of “non compliant lights being removed”, we are again seeing a case of the council over-reacting to prevent the use of a tiny amount of electricity and due to excessive council health and safety rules.

“How many people electrically test their lights at home each year and how many house fires result? The threat barely exists.”

Coun Cooke questioned whether the council would send the “eco-police” to take down Christmas lights which fail to meet the guidelines.

He added: “The Council Grinch has arrived to ban pretty much all Christmas decorations in it’s buildings and I cannot help but wonder if it will be banning people from having Christmas light displays in their gardens and maybe even not putting up lights itself in the city and town centres in the future, to save a few pence and try to save the world.

“Where will they draw the line”?

Last year, Conservative councillors in Bradford said they would hide their toaster after it was suggested electrical devices could be seized by the authority.

The council had told staff it would hold an amnesty for “all portable heaters, fans and toasters ... [which] do not comply with the council’s agreed recycling and heating efficiency policies”.

Toasters had been banned from Bradford’s City Hall as they set off fire alarms.