TALENTED musicians and community heroes will take part in the district's first ever virtual Christmas lights switch-on events.

Braintree Council has confirmed it will be streaming the annual tradition online on Saturday, December 12.

The Christmas lights switch-on in Braintree town centre will take place virtually this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Other switch-ons taking place in the district are also expected to feature.

The online event will feature a mix of up and coming musicians from the area who will perform festive songs.

Community heroes who have stepped up during the coroanvirus crisis are also being invited to share their messages during the event

Organisers say the online screening will be pre-recorded rather than streamed live.

Braintree Council's communities, culture and tourism boss Frankie Ricci said: "It’s been an incredibly tough year and we all know celebrations during the festive season are going to be very different this year.

"But this event encapsulates the spirit and determination that the district has to both celebrate the Christmas season and keep our district and each other safe.

"It’s fantastic to see so many talented artists and performers contributing and to know that people across the district will be coming together online to spread some Christmas positivity.”

The virtual event is running alongside the council's 'shop local online' campaign which encourages residents to buy from independent retailers.

A virtual street market is set to be held in place of the Christmas markets on December 19 in an effort to promote traders in Braintree.

The council's economic boss Tom Cunningham said: “The Christmas lights switch on is always a favourite in our district and is an event that helps boost trade for our local businesses.

"We are still keen to support our businesses in any way we can – that’s why we have created a Shop Local Facebook page and continued our monthly virtual street markets to encourage people to shop and spend locally in the lead up to Christmas.

"We hope to see many people get involved in our virtual celebrations that will really bring everyone some much-needed festive cheer after what has been a difficult and challenging year."

The Braintree District Virtual Light Switch-on event will be free to watch on the Braintree Council’s Facebook page and YouTube channel from 6.30pm.