Christmas has begun early for Veronica Archer's family -- eight weeks early!

And the Blackburn mother is staking a claim to be the first in East Lancashire to put up her festive lights.

Veronica, 37, of Brecon Road, Whitebirk, is not content with a small tree and some window lights.

The mother-of-five has spent thousands on expensive fairy lights, illuminated reindeers and snowmen to deck out three council houses in her street.

She relies on benefits after being widowed and because she has disabled children. But she stressed: "I sort the children out first. I don't drink or smoke, so the money I have left goes on the lights."

Her own version of the illuminations were turned on last week. People have been coming from miles around to view them.

And she hasn't finished yet -- she intends to put up more.

She said: "I haven't done it for myself, it is purely for my son. My youngest son Christopher has an undiagnosed illness that could be autism and we think the lights will help him.

"Everybody loves our lights. We have had all our neighbours coming and looking at them and all the cars that drive past turn round further up the street and come and have another look because they can't believe it.

"One night two policemen knocked at the door and I thought my sons had got into trouble but they had only stopped by to say they liked our lights.

"We have spent every single spare bit of money we have on them and go looking for different kinds of lights everywhere."

Mrs Archer lives with her five sons Jason, 14, Wayne, 11, Nathan, nine, Jordan, six, and Christopher, two.

Her council house and the one next door are knocked into each other and Veronica's brothers Andrew and Sean also live there, while her sister Susan Turner, 51, lives next door. Mrs Archer said her late husband Christopher was keen on Christmas decorations and she decided to make them bigger and better every year after he died from a heart attack in August 2003.

She buys low wattage bulbs to save on electricity bills and has a safety mechanism fitted so the lights trip out if there is any danger of overheating.

She added: "I don't know if we are the first but we haven't seen anyone else with lights up yet."