Bournemouth won't be getting a Christmas lights switch on this year - because too many people came to last year's event.

The  town centre will be in the minority this festive season after it was confirmed that there will be no Christmas lights switch-on.

The decision comes after problems at last year’s event, where overcrowding left many families fuming.

It included two parades, which were due to make their way from opposite ends of the town centre before meeting in the Gardens for a switch-on.

But the high volume of people in the Square led to organisers having to stop the processions halfway through, leaving many disappointed. Afterwards, they said there were “a lot of things we can learn from this”.

This year, it has been decided not to have an official switch-on.

By contrast, Poole, Christchurch, Wimborne, Ringwood, Southbourne, Westbourne, Ferndown and Pokesdown all have switch-ons at the end of November.

Bournemouth Echo:

"A massive disappointment" - parents hit out at Bournemouth Christmas lights switch-on

Roger Parker, Bournemouth’s Town Centre Business Improvement District (BID) Manager, said: “The launch of the Christmas celebrations in Bournemouth has been getting more and more popular every year.

“In 2014, just under 60,000 people came to enjoy the opening day of the Christmas festivities and made it clear that the seasonal appeal of Bournemouth is now very well established.

“The good news is that this year’s Christmas offer in Bournemouth is even stronger, with attractions including the ice rink in the Gardens of Light, which run every day for just over six weeks and are now in their third year of operation.

“The Gardens of Light means that people get to see spectacular illuminations throughout the whole festive season and this is widely publicised.”

Bournemouth Echo:

Mr Parker said it had been decided that a single launch event in the town centre “would not do justice to the breadth of festivities across the borough”.

He added that there would be switch-ons in Boscombe on November 19, Southbourne on November 21 and Westbourne on December 5, which both the town centre BID and Coastal BID would be supporting.

Mr Parker said: “The Boscombe event on November 19 will feature a whole new lighting scheme, which has been financed by the Coastal BID and should appeal to those seeking the switch-on experience.”

New this year is the Santa Express land train, which will run from November 19 to December 30, as well as a giant snow globe, which visitors will be able to climb inside in four locations between November 23 and December 6.

The Coastal Business Improvement District and the Bournemouth Town Centre BID have joined forces to put on the events in the town and in the suburbs.

From November 12 the alpine market, Moose Bar and Christmas stage – featuring live acts – return to the Square as well.