Diss Town Council's Christmas lights committee member Graham Minshull has teamed up with the Diss Express to ask people for their thoughts.

Mr Minshull said a combination of businesses feeling the pinch of the credit crunch and an inability to raise enough money from fundraising has forced the ultimatum.

He estimates that residents would have to pay an extra £2 to £3 per year as part of the Diss town council portion of their council tax.

This would raise the £12,000 needed to maintain the display.

Mr Minshull wants to find out if people are prepared to pay, as part of their 2009/10 council tax bill, for the 2009 display and displays thereafter.

He said: "It's that or no lights at all. It is as simple as that.

"I'm torn myself. I'm saying: 'Do I really want to do this?'

"I couldn't make up my mind so I thought I would go out and ask the people themselves.

"If people want to support it we will go ahead and do it. If people don't then we can pack the lights up and put them into storage."

Mr Minshull said fundraising alone does not bring in enough cash: "From a standing start you have to raise about £10,000.

"If I had 20 to 30 people willing to give up their time we could do it. But the last event I held was a car boot sale and I was there on my own.

"The last raffle we held brought in £260. It is a small amount of money for an awful lot of work."

Mr Minshull said fundraising would still take place even if lights were paid for by the public.

Cash from businesses and from events would go towards extending and improving the lights further.

He also pointed to Attleborough, where their Christmas lights display is maintained and run by the town council.

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