MALVERN Town Council is threatening to cancel Christmas for shoppers, saying it does not have the capacity to organise events.

It has agreed to pull out of organising the late-night shopping event and may even decide not to put up the Christmas lights.

Mayor David Williams said money, time and staff were all in short supply.

"We've now cut the budget so it could be that there won't be any (lights)," said Coun Williams.

He said that his Christmas lights appeal, launched to help supplement last year's display, raised just under £2,000.

"That money will be put towards the lights, if there are any," he said.

Scarce resources were cited as the reason for the council's lack of Christmas spirit, despite this year's Council Tax increase 48 per cent, a figure reduced from an initial 61 per cent.

At a meeting of the resources sub-committee on Tuesday, town councillors followed the advice of their clerk Stuart McDonough, who said they should opt out of running the town's traditional late-night shopping event.

"We don't have the resources to do it this year and our recommendation is we just don't do it and perhaps some of the traders can do it," said Mr McDonough.

Coun Pat Mewton said traders indicated they did not want a late night Christmas event by closing their shops last year.

Coun Mike Angell agreed and said: "We should just let them run it."

Reacting to the news, Robin Elt, chairman of Malvern Traders' Association, said: "I find that astonishing when the council has just increased its budget by such a vast amount of money.

"The traders' association also has very strong feelings about the Christmas lights which we were hoping to put in place with the town council."

He added that a Malvern Revival Party had been organised for Wednesday, May 23 at his shop to discuss ways of invigorating the town.

"We have some fairly radical plans which we will reveal at a later date," he said.