IF shopkeepers want to see individual Christmas trees on the front of their shops next year they might have to reach into their own pockets.

Despite the launch of a Christmas lights appeal, Malvern mayor David Williams said there is an argument that says shops should pay for their own Christmas lights.

He said he would like to use the public appeal money to put up more lights in the public areas of Malvern.

In the past, the Council had paid for the trees which were put up in front of many of the town's shops.

"If shopkeepers want to put up little Christmas trees, that's up to them. Just because that's the way we used to do things, it doesn't mean we have to do it forever," said Coun Williams.

So far, his Christmas light appeal has raised more than £2,000 in donations which have been collected thanks to the generosity of local businesses.

The appeal was launched after the old lights failed a health and safety inspection.

The Council agreed to spend £15,000 on this year's effort but the total bill of bringing the display up to previous years' standards is about £35,000.

But critics have called this year's lights "dismal" and "tasteless".

Coun Williams said the Council had only received two written complaints about the lights.

"And this time next year they should be a lot better," he said.

"The £15,000 we spent this year has provided the infrastructure and what we will do is after Christmas, early in the New Year, we'll sit down and review all the correspondence and press reports and decide what we'll do next year.

"We'll be asking people what they want. We won't just do it but if we go for just white lights people will say they want coloured ones, and if we go for coloured lights, people will say they want white ones. If only we could please everyone," he said.