PENSIONER Eric Marshall will be spending his 80th birthday clambering around on his roof making sure the spectacular show of Christmas lights he has been staging for the past 25 years is intact.

And despite wife Jean insisting he should give up, especially as he is 80 tomorrow, he says he intends to carry on with the showstopping display for as long as he can climb a ladder.

Every year Mr Marshall spends November putting the light show in place – and it is now so popular people come from miles around just to see it. He has raised thousands of pounds for St Mary’s Church in Bagby through donations from visitors.

“I enjoy doing it, watching the families and people coming to see it is wonderful. I started off with one Santa and a sleigh and it has just grown and grown,” said Mr Marshall who foots the bill himself ensuring the money donated goes to the church.

“I am on direct debit and I just put the bills in the drawer and forget about them,” added Mr Marshall.

When asked about concerns over sustainability, he said: “If people came and looked at our lights instead of building their own then that would save electricity and it would help the church.”

The show has been so popular over the years it even attracted the attention of Hollywood producers who filmed the display for a documentary called Invasion of the Christmas Lights, Europe.

The Bagby lights will be shining bright until 12 days after Christmas.