Council bans Christmas

A council has told staff not to put up Christmas decorations in the office - in case they get hurt.

Festive lights have also been banned because they are too costly to run.

Staff at Tower Hamlets council in East London said they were stunned when they were issued with the order.

One worker said: "We only wanted to get into the spirit and brighten the place up. It feels more like the Eastern Bloc than the East End round here now - except slightly less cheery."

A council spokeswoman defended the move, she said: "There's a concern people might hurt themselves trying to attach hanging decorations from the ceiling.

"Christmas lights use a relatively small amount of electricity but every effort counts in reducing energy waste."