Christmas cancelled after Santa's little helpers resign

The looming holiday season could be devoid of all Yuletide cheer this year in the town of Ellon, Aberdeenshire, due to an ongoing community council crisis.

The group, who have helped organise the annual Christmas lights switch on and parade for decades, has collapsed due to shortage of volunteers.

The serving members withdrew from their positions after Aberdeenshire Council bosses ruled that their numbers were not sufficient to be making decisions or spending funds.

The folding of the organisation means that the Christmas parade, lights switch on and fireworks planned for November 19 will no longer go ahead.

And there will be no festive street lighting or early visits from Father Christmas either.

Councillors are now working on a rescue plan in an attempt to save some of the festive fun.

The community council ceased to exist on October 13 - just 37 days before the main event was due to take place.

According to the community council, the decision to axe the group came about as a result of “insufficient members”.

The minimum numbers required for the community group to form a quorum is 10.

But membership fell to just eight last month.

Former chairman Peter Mackie claimed the local authority had left them with no choice but to call a halt to all their activities.

He said: “We tried to find a way around this.

“If we can’t spend money to make decisions we can’t go on.

“It made it impossible to go ahead.”

Councillors for the town, which is around 15 miles to the north of Aberdeen, now hope to rescue the event with “alternative arrangements”.