A CHRISTMAS lights enthusiast from Bala is urging residents to follow his simple tips to stay safe over the festive season.

North Wales Fire and Rescue Service have joined forces with Gareth Edwards from Rhyduchaf in their campaign to get people to switch on their Christmas lights safely.

Statistics show that electrical fires increase substantially during the Christmas period, after the majority of people put up their Christmas lights at the start of December – over the last three years, North Wales Fire and Rescue Service attended 38 incidents during December compared to an average of 20 per month for the other 11 months.

Fires involving cabling or plugs also rose during December, rising to 16 from an average of nine for the other months.

Electrician Gareth Edwards, who has been welcoming visitors from far and wide to his home for 25 years to enjoy his spectacular lights display, said: “We’ve been welcoming people here since 1990, and it’s brilliant to see how much enjoyment the lights can bring.

“Christmas lights and decorations can be really fun – but as an electrician I’m aware how dangerous electrical items can be if they’re not used properly. It’s so important that people don’t overload their electrics or leave their lights on when going out or heading up to bed – the last thing anyone wants is a fire over the Christmas period.

“I heard about the fire and rescue service’s campaign and it’s great to work with them to get these important messages across.”

Stuart Millington, senior fire safety manager for North Wales Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Gareth’s Christmas lights display is certainly amazing and his advice is sound – I know that residents across the region enjoy preparing their own displays and I’d ask them to do so safely, by not overloading sockets and plugs and using correctly fused multi gang safety leads.

“Many people will have a variety of electrical devices on their Christmas lists this year – be conscious of overloading, don’t charge items overnight and use chargers from a reputable source rather than cheap aftermarket chargers.

“The build up to Christmas and New Year can be a time to relax and enjoy being with family and friends – but extra vigilance is vital to prevent a fire that could easily devastate the family home with the loss of presents and valuables, seriously injuring or even worse killing you or a loved one.”

To register for a free home safety check with North Wales Fire Service, please call the bilingual 24 hour free hotline on 0800 1691234 or visit www.freesmokealarm.co.uk