OTLEY'S Christmas lights may have to be stored in a transport container to avoid causing a fire risk.

Following a damning report on possible fire risks at Otley Civic Centre, the town council is in the process of removing storage and upgrading its fire safety procedures.

And instead of storing the town's Christmas lights including hundreds of feet of plastic wiring, inflatable Santas and coloured lights in the centre it is considering putting them in a container to be stored possibly at Gallows Hill.

At last week's Civic Centre Committee meeting, town clerk Iain Plumtree said council staff were progressing well in tackling recommendations made in the fire safety report. They included removing much of the storage accumulated by centre users, such as Otley Little Theatre and Otley Museum, and installing information signs and fire doors.

He added there had been a delay in getting quotations for an automated fire alarm system and finding suitable alternative storage for the Christmas lights.

"The Christmas lights are a problem and at the moment, I can't find a solution for them. We can''t have them in the centre because there is a lot of plastic cabling which if there was to be a fire would create a lot of black smoke and toxic fumes."

It was agreed to investigate the cost of a container which could be stored at Gallows Hill.