Health and safety regulations can sometimes get in the way of festive cheer, as these residents found out.

However instead of letting barriers and boundaries ruin their “depressing” Christmas tree, they decided to do something about it.

A massive Christmas tree was insatlled in the centre of Crofton Park, but to ensure no errant child pulled the whole thing down, a barrier was put around it.

Which is all well and good and safe, but many people felt it rather ruined the festive feel of the tree.

Claudia Barwell runs a local Facebook group and was among the people who felt they should do something to spruce up the forlorn evergreen.

She said: “We have a very strong sense of community here. There has always been some chat about how bloody awful the blue barriers are.

“People were asking why bother with a Christmas tree if it looks as depressing as that.”

After grumbling over the ugly barriers for weeks, the community decided to do something about it.

Claudia and other neighbours got together and decorated the tree as well as covering the blue barriers with coloured cloth with an “Elf and Safety Approved” sign.

Other neighbours love the result. Cathy Dearson wrote on Facebook: “This is such a lovely thing to do to those ugly barriers - what a clever idea.”