THOUSANDS of people descended on York Minster to see the city sparkle with its dazzling new festive lights.

The cathedral was bathed in the spectacular colours of Quality Street wrappers - in tribute to Nestl Rowntree, which made a huge donation towards the cost of installing the illuminations.

Chris White, the company's managing director, pulled the lever at last night's official switch-on ceremony in Duncombe Place, which brought screams and cheers from the crowd.

He was joined on stage by other dignitaries, including the Lord Mayor of York, Coun Janet Looker, Evening Press deputy editor Bill Hearld, and snooker star Joe Perry.

Party band Huge whipped the crowd into a festive frenzy with a string of sing-a-along favourites, including Angels, Sit Down and Mustang Sally.

The city centre is now decked with colourful displays through to the New Year, following support from principal sponsor Nestl, along with York Business Pride, City of York Council, and locally-based businesses, including GNER and First York.

Earlier this year, Nestl responded to The Evening Press-backed York Business Pride Make York Sparkle appeal for support to save the Christmas illuminations.

The campaign was launched when other efforts failed to raise enough cash to cover the installation and maintenance costs of the lights, threatening to plunge York into a Christmas "blackout".

Mr White, who was accompanied on stage by his wife and two children, told the crowd: "It's lovely to see all you people who have come out. It's important that York has something to be proud of over Christmas time."

Coun Looker said: "This is a ringing endorsement of the Evening Press campaign to make sure York has some quality Christmas lights."

Reveller Matthew Fletcher was at the switch-on with his girlfriend to celebrate his 25th birthday. "It's great to have something like this because some places just put up a few lights and that's it. Nestl has done us proud."

Mr Hearld added: "York is a fantastic Christmas city, and it's brilliant that we now have the lights to beam out that message."

Updated: 10:12 Friday, November 26, 2004