FESTIVE fun will be coming to Sedgley this weekend when the Christmas lights are officially switched on.

The Sedgley Christmas lights event takes place on Sunday December 2 from 4pm to 7pm, with the lights turned on at 6pm.

Organiser have high hopes for the event, which has seen businesses rally together to contribute towards the festive fun.

Shops will be open on Sunday especially for the occasion, with traders hoping to take advantage of the added footfall.

Kate Torrance, from jewellery and gift shop Emporium 13 on Dudley Street, will be opening the store on Sunday to coincide with the event.

She said: "It will be good footfall past the shop so perhaps people who haven't seen the shop before will remember us and come back."

Councillor Tina Westwood, who represents Sedgley, said: "Hopefully it will be just as good as last year, which was fantastic."

The tree is already up in the Bull Ring ready to be switched on this weekend.

A number of roads will be closed from 1pm to 8.30pm to allow the event to run smoothly.

Gospel End Street will be closed between the Bull Ring and Vicar Street; Ettymore Road between the Bull Ring and Townsend Avenue; Dean Street between Gospel End Street and car park access and Mill Bank.

Two-way temporary traffic signals will be in operation across one side of the Bull Ring roundabout to allow traffic from Dudley Street to High Street to flow smoothly.

The taxi ranks in Dudley Street and Ettymore Road will also be suspended, while the closures of Gospel End Street and Ettymore Road will be manned to allow access to the police station and police car park.

The number 27 bus route will be affected. The service will travel up Vicar Street, turn right into Dudley Street, left into Tipton Street, right into Gate Street, right into High Holborn, forward into Dudley Street and left into Vicar Street, before continuing its normal route.