Family bring Christmas spirit to Brierley Hill with their festive display

A family's vivid Christmas display has been helping a community get into the festive spirit.

Phillip Watts, Mariesa Cook and their children Keira Byrne, five, and Taylan Watts, one, show off the display they put on every year

Phillip Watts and his partner Mariesa Lee from Brierley Hill have worked to put together the display, which covers the whole of the house and the front area.

The display features lit up reindeer, a host of Santa's and snowmen, moving displays and signs and a selection of Christmas songs playing alongside the display.

The couple work to make the display bigger every year, with a partnership being made with Operation Santa

Mr Watts said it has been something he and Mariesa had done for around five years due to his partner's love of Christmas and for their five-year-old daughter Keira.

He said: "Mariesa absolutely loves Christmas and she would follow the Coca Cola truck all year round if she could and I've got more into the Christmas spirit since I've been with her.

"Keira loves it as well and she's always asking when we can put the display out and when we can switch it and if we can add a new thing to it.

Phillip Watts shows Santa where to make a landing this year

"We didn't actually get to do it last year because we were expecting our son Taylan and Mariesa then broke her ankle, so we decided to go bigger and bigger this year."

Mr Watts said the display also served a purpose of helping people in need as he was also supporting Operation Santa, a project to help children in Dudley borough to have a present to open on Christmas day.

He also said the display has proved popular, with cars queuing along the road outside the house to see it and people coming to see the lights turn on each day at 5pm.

Mariesa and Taylan enjoy the lit up Santas and snowmen

He said: "We've got our own Facebook page called Black Country Christmas Lights Displays which we put the display and other displays around the area on and that's grown to nearly 1,800 likes.

"We've had lots of families come by to get their photos take in front of it and the little ones who get so excited about seeing it.

"We hope we can raise a smile at a difficult time and also help Operation Santa to collect as many presents as possible, so I would encourage people to send them whatever you can."

To see the display and other displays in the region, go to Black-country-christmas-light-displays-111950916957729

To make a donation to Operation Santa, go to blackcountryradio.co.uk/local/operation-santa-2020