ENGLAND Cricket captain Mike Atherton switched on one of Blackburn's most familiar Christmas sights.
The Lancashire player pushed the button which lit up the giant star on top of the Thwaites brewery building in the town. He brought along his god-daughter, Rachael Fairbrother, for the big switch-on.
Six-year-old Rachael is the daughter of Mike's Lancashire team-mate Neil Fairbrother.
Thwaites are the official beer suppliers to the Lancashire County Cricket Club and were delighted that Mike agreed to help out with the Christmas star.
Mike said he was looking forward to the festive season.
"At the moment we are training two or three times a week to get ready for our tour in January but we all get two weeks off at Christmas," he said.
Mike and Rachael were late for the switch-on after being caught up in the traffic chaos around Blackburn caused by the gas leak in the town centre.
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