The replacement of all the bulbs on the seafronts coloured festoons has hit a snag after some of the lamp posts were moved without warning.

Last year, the town hall had taken on responsibility for the seafront attraction after both the county council and district council’s cut costs.

The town council took on the lights and launched an appeal asking for individuals and businesses to sponsor the lights and replace them with reduced energy and brighter LED lighting for �200 a string - and a chance to get their name on a plaque.

The goal had been to replace them by Easter, but county engineers have moved some of the lamp posts without warning, resulting in some of the lampposts now having different spacing between them.

Town clerk John Wokersien said he was a little frustrated: “This has delayed the replacement of the festoon lights and requires new cables and brackets for the new lampposts. However, work is progressing and the contractor, Roger Ugalde, promises to have the work complete and the system stabilised within the next few weeks. The straightforward rarely is!”