BUSINESSES in Dorch-ester are being urged to show some festive spirit and sign up for the town's Christmas Cracker night.

Members of the chamber of commerce, which is organising the event, say they want this year to be the biggest and best ever, capitalising on the town's new Christmas lights.

Chairman of the Christmas Cracker committee Ian Marchant said it was important that shops and businesses in the town centre got involved on December 2.

He said: "We're writing to all businesses in the area to ask them to take part. On the evening I would hope that most shops in the town are going to be open.

"We would like them all to have lots of Christmas decorations and are encouraging them to ask their staff to dress up in fancy dress costumes in the spirit of the evening.

"Even those shops that aren't going to open, we'd like them to leave their lights on and keep their decorations switched on to help make the streets look good."

Mr Marchant said the Cracker organisers were co-ordinating with members of Decorate Dorchester, the group that has raised money for new Christmas lights in the town.

He said: "We want to give the whole town a bit of a lift and make it look better than it has done in the last couple of years."

The town centre will be closed to traffic for the evening as charity and food stalls line the streets. Other attractions look set to include a Santa parade and a marching band.

Mr Marchant said the event organisation was still in its early stages, but this year looked like it could be the best in the event's 10-year history.

He said: "We should have a number of presentation stalls by groups like Young Enterprise and I'm hoping the farmers' market will be there on the night, which is also the official switch-on of the lights.

"We definitely want to give the town a lighter and brighter feel," he said.