Christmas lights told to be taken down as ‘bonkers’ move leaves residents ‘very angry’

Residents were left “very angry” after they were asked to take down their “harmless” Christmas lights.

Ronald Neil, 82, a retired journalist, said he and other residents at Teddington Riverside, a collection of apartments and townhouses in London, received an email from their property management group with a complaint made against their festive lights.

Neil, who lives with his wife and has decorated his balcony with lights, said he has lived at his property for six years and has never been asked to take the lights down.

“People are very angry because all we’re doing is stringing these lights as part of Christmas on the balconies and we’ve been instructed to remove them,” he said.

“It’s a perfectly innocent thing to do at this time of year.”

Neil guessed between 10 and 15 properties have been decorated with Christmas lights, adding he did not take his down despite the email that was sent on December 23.

“We switched them on anyway because this email didn’t arrive until 4pm,” he said.

“We would not win any prizes – 30 or 40 yards of these tiny little lights, and we’ve just strung them along the balcony.

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“I have to say it’s not very impressive. They’re absolutely harmless and they just brighten up people’s balconies.

“And for some reason or other they say: ‘Remove them because it’s not in the terms of your lease or contract,’ which to be honest with you I think is bonkers.”

An email from property managers at Urang Group claimed that “numerous complaints have been received regarding the Christmas lights being displayed on the balconies which is a breach of lease”.

The group “kindly urged all residents that have erected lights on their balconies” to take them down.

A day later, on Christmas Eve, residents received another email from Urang apologising “for the distress” caused and instead suggested that people with light displays should switch the lights off at 10pm or “turn the luminosity down during sleeping hours”.

Neil said: “The place is not ablaze in light.

“I’m very glad the wise men were allowed to have a light so that they could follow it.

“Seems to me, at Christmas time, putting up a few Christmas lights is not exactly breaking the law.

“We need to brighten up our lives at the moment, anything that does that should be welcomed, not condemned.”

Asked if the situation had ruined his Christmas, Neil said: “Not for a second. I just think it’s bonkers!”