PARISH councillors have been labelled Scrooges after not contributing £500 to the costs of a community’s Christmas lights fund.

Elaine Johnson, of Whernside Manor, Dentdale, had requested £500 from Dent Parish Council to help pay for festive lights to be switched on around the dale.

When the council agreed to contribute just £125, Lady Johnson said the community faced the prospect of having lights – but not being able to pay an electrician to turn them on.

“If we cannot raise the money to pay the electrician we could be in the position of having the trees and the lights but not being able to switch them on,” she said.

“It just feels like everyone is doing something for the lights except the parish council.

“I think they are Scrooges.

“The community has really pulled together, and that’s why it’s so mean.

“I think they could have shown us a little more support,” she said.

Jock Cairns, chairman of Dent Parish Council, said the council had given £250 for the lights last year. But it had received a greater number of requests for contributions from organisations this year – 22 this year compared with 13 the year before – which forced councillors to cut funding to causes which received money in previous years.

“We had a lot more people wanting grants – so we took the decision to reduce grants across the board so everyone would be treated fairly,” he said.

“As for the council being Scrooge-like, the parish council has a difficult job in balancing its books and gives between £4,000 and £4,500 in grants to local organisations.

“I feel the parish council is quite well-regarded within the community for the work it is doing and I refute the charge that we are Scrooge-like in any way.”

The Dentdale Christmas Lights Committee is holding a bingo, cheese and wine evening in the village hall on November 28 to raise funds to switch the lights on.