NELSON councillors have demanded to know what happened to the town's original nativity scene - with some believing the centre lacks Christmas spirit.

Councillors at a Nelson Committee meeting this week expressed their concerns about the disappearance of the nativity scene which stood outside the former Army and Navy store at Christmas for many years.

Councillors said that they had also received letters from angry residents saying that there was a lack of festive decorations in the town.

But Pendle Council has hit back, saying that there had not been a nativity scene in the town for the past five years because it had been vandalised.

Councillors dispute this claim as they believe the nativity scene was last used two years ago.

Nelson now has a lights nativity scene on the side of Pendle Rise shopping centre.

Speaking at the meeting Coun Mohammed Iqbal said: "I have had numerous complaints from residents asking where the statues of Joseph and Mary have gone.

"Nearly £2,000 was spent on the figures of Mary, Joseph and Jesus only four years ago.

"Where have they gone? Back to Bethlehem?

"They can't have been vandalised because they were behind a glass cover.

"We need to know where they have gone and get them replaced for next year.

"Residents have also been complaining about the lack of decorations in the town.

"Where is the spirit of Christmas?"

But committee chairman David Foster told the meeting that traders could do more to create a festive mood.

Coun Foster said: "£52,000 has been spent on decorations in the town in the past two years.

"The council cannot pay for the whole town to be lit up.

"Traders need to take it upon themselves to decorate their own shops."

After the meeting, Scott Whalley, a senior engineer at Pendle Council who is responsible for the Christmas decorations in the town, said: "For the second year running, Nelson town centre has a large, modern nativity scene up in lights on the side of the Pendle Rise shopping centre.

"This is right in the heart of the town, in a prominent position at the top of Market Street.

"There hasn't been a crib in Nelson for five years.

"The crib we used to have was vandalised.

"The good news is that, from this Saturday, the Churches In Covenant Group will be putting a crib in an empty shop in the Pendle Rise shopping centre."