CITY traders are celebrating after Christmas lights were put up in a forgotten' part of Southampton.

For the first time ever, East Street will be able to join in with city centre festivities after council bosses decorated the street with Christmas lighting.

The move comes after 14 years of campaigning for lights by local traders and residents.

Rashmi Chande, of the East Street Traders' Association, who is pictured right above with other traders, has been at the forefront of the campaign since it began.

Mr Chande, who owns Perry's Art and Office Supplies, said: "For years we have had to succumb to what I call business apartheid'' where all the money has been spent on the big shops in the high street while us little shops have been forgotten.

"The council should be selling the city centre as a whole, not promoting certain parts of it.

"It makes much more sense that the whole city centre is buzzing with lights and activity.

"We are so happy that common sense has finally prevailed.

"It has filled us all with Christmas cheer."

City centre manager Ian Rotherwell said that the East Street lights will be a Christmas feature from now on.

He said: "Each year we try and add a bit more to Christmas lighting in the city, and thanks to sponsorship from the Friday markets in the Bargate we have been able to put lights in East Street. We have always felt that East Street is an important area in the city but in past years it has literally been a case of not having the money to be able to put Christmas lights up.

"Now we have been able to buy lights for East Street, which will be a permanent Christmas feature.

"We are also hoping that next year we can add more lights to the street."