Torvill and Dean glide in to switch on lights

The rink is back at the McArthurGlen Designer Outlet on the edge of the city for the second year running after it was forced to relocate from its original site at the Eye of York following objections from staff working at the nearby crown court.

This year’s event, which has been dubbed Yorkshire’s Winter Wonderland, has been expanded to include traditional fair rides, 20 stalls selling festive goods and a Santa’s grotto.

Torvill and Dean, left, who have featured as mentors on ITV’s Dancing on Ice series, were at the rink on Saturday evening.

They met and skated with shoppers as well as signing autographs and posing for photographs with the public.

Torvill said: “Both myself and Christopher were thrilled to launch Yorkshire’s Winter Wonderland at McArthurGlen’s York Designer Outlet.

“Our passion is ice skating, so being able to combine that with such a fantastic switch-on event was the perfect way to mark the start of Christmas this year.”

The ice-skating duo became the highest-scoring figure skaters of all time with maximum points after performing their Ravel’s Bolero routine at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo.

The ice rink at the designer outlet is open every day, except Christmas Day, until January 8 between 9.30am and 9.15pm.