REINDEER will pull Father Christmas through Knutsford on a sleigh as part of this year’s festive lights switch-on.

Knutsford Town Council, which last year invited former India cricketer Farokh Engineer, has organised for six reindeer to travel from Aviemore in Scotland.

“I’ve seen it in other towns and it just brings more people and adds a little spice,” said town clerk Matthew Jackson who came up with the idea.

“Hopefully it will avoid the rest of the town being deserted when the switch-on is happening in Canute Place. The idea is to get more people moving about and bring a commercial benefit to shopkeepers.”

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Hannah Chatelet, 8, who lives in Warren Avenue, was chosen as the winner of a competition organised by Knutsford Town Council and the Knutsford Guardian.

She will ride to the switch-on of Knutsford’s Christmas lights in the sleigh pulled by reindeer - and then sing in the choir.

Hannah’s sleigh ride will begin at the railway bridge in King Street at 7pm and she will arrive in Canute Place at about 7.30pm.

Then there will be carols by Egerton Primary School pupils and performances by Mereside Brass Band.

Mr Jackson said he hoped stores would stay open later to attract customers following Father Christmas along King Street and Tatton Street.

“I would expect it to be a little bit stop start because reindeer apparently walk very slowly,” he said.

In Christmas folklore, Father Christmas was pulled by Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner - and Rudolph.

But he will be powered through Knutsford by a team of four mature males and two six-month-old calves chosen from a herd of 150.

“They are fairly docile,” said Mr Jackson.

“The company we are working with have done lots of towns in the past. The reindeer live out on the hills 11 months of the year but they are trained to do what they do.”

Mr Jackson said he hoped more people than ever would turn up to the switch-on on December 3, and said councillors thought a celebrity could be dispensed with on this occasion.

“Hopefully the reindeer element will generate enough excitement,” he said.

“We didn’t feel it was necessary to get anybody else along. Hopefully we’ve got something that will even trump Farokh Engineer this year.”

The switch-on is taking place a week later than normal this year - traders asked for it to be in December - but traditional elements will stay the same.

Egerton Primary School pupils will lead to singing and Mereside Brass Band will play after the reindeer have completed their half-hour parade at about 7.30pm.

Mr Jackson said he did not expect the refurbishment of Canute Place to affect proceedings. “The information we’re getting is that the scaffolding is going to be down by November 17 which will allow us to put up the usual Christmas trees on the flat roof.”