PANICKING children and parents feared they would be crushed as crowds filled Worcester to watch the Christmas lights switch-on.

Thousands saw Mayor Aubrey Tarbuck turn on the lights at the Guildhall - then when it was announced that movie star Shrek was making a special appearance at CrownGate Shopping Centre, everyone made for the Angel Place arcade.

But as more and more people crammed into the centre, filling it to bursting point, there were reports of panic attacks and children having to be escorted out by security staff.

No one was seriously injured, but many parents slammed the organisers for a lack of health and safety provision.

Pat Tunley, from Lower Wick, said it was absolute bedlam.

"If someone had been stupid enough to say 'there's a bomb' there would have been a stampede," she said. "I saw one poor woman having a panic attack after she couldn't get out of the crowds."

Mrs Tunley also criticised the way the event had been planned: "All the entertainment was on a small stage at the front so people were just pushing forward to see what was happening.

"I feel sorry for the kids who were at the back who wouldn't have been able to see a thing."

Denise Harvey echoed Mrs Tunley's comments.

"I brought my two kids but was so far at the back I couldn't see anything," she said.

"After I did get to the front after half an hour of forcing my way through, Shrek had gone - he was only on for 10 minutes.

"It was a shambles."

But Brian Tallin, media manager at organisers Severn Communications, said there had been no complaints to them, or CrownGate this morning.

"As far as we are concerned it was a very successful event," he added.

"We had extra security guards, lots of first aiders and police on hand who were acutely aware of what was going on.

"If there had been too many people we would have stopped people coming in."

However, he did admit: "Next year, we may have a rethink about whereabouts in the shopping centre we hold it."