MOUNTED police who had earlier led the Burnley Christmas lights switch-on procession were called into action to break up a stampede of 100 young people.

Last night's festivities were coming to an end when the youths ran through the still-crowded town centre causing people including many young children to take evasive action.

A police spokesman said: "We had some problems at about 8pm when a lot of young teenagers went stampeding through the town centre.

"They intimidated other visitors but didn't cause any damage. There was no fighting and no-one was hurt. It seemed to be more silliness than anything."

Thousands of people flocked into the town centre for the lights switch-on and fireworks display.

Hundreds of youngsters, many on dads' shoulders, crowded into the town centre to get a glimpse of their television favourites, Rugrats characters Chuckie and Angelica who were helped to switch on the lights by two young winners of a colouring competition, seven-year-old Samuel Kearney and Lauren Glass, nine.

The Mayor and Mayoress, Coun Eddie Fisk and Mrs Pat Chadwick joined in the fun.

This year's lights are the biggest and brightest ever with an extra 2,000 white lights to mark the year 2000.

They lit up the packed shopping centre at the same time that a short but spectacular firework display from the roof top of an adjacent office block lit up the night sky.

The switch-on followed a procession down Manchester Road into the centre.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.