THE Evening Press - which helped make York sparkle this Christmas - has been invited to be involved in tomorrow's big switch-on ceremony.

Deputy editor Bill Hearld will join the Lord Mayor of York, Coun Janet Looker, the light's main sponsors, GNER and Nestl, and the main organisers to turn on the dazzling illuminations at the event, at 6pm, in Duncombe Place.

Entertainment will be provided by party band Huge and there will be a special appearance by Father Christmas.

The city centre will be 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 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".

The appeal raised a total of £47,000, successfully providing a platform on which to build next year's lights.

Mr Hearld said: "We were delighted to be able to help raise the money needed to make York sparkle and to be involved in this impressive switch-on."

York Minster will be bathed in lights for tomorrow's occasion and will remain lit until the end of the popular four-day St Nicholas Fayre which runs from tomorrow until Sunday.

Members of Huge have raised £640 for the NSPCC, £330 for York Against Cancer, and £330 for Crohn's Disease Research, at performances in York city centre in recent weeks. The band's lead singer, Big Ian, said today he was looking forward to playing at the switch-on, saying: "It's a big honour, because the band is made up of guys who are originally from York and a few from out of town, and the place has been good to us."

Updated: 10:29 Wednesday, November 24, 2004