Christmas Tree and lights for Trafalgar Square

11:56am Thursday 4th December 2003

London's Christmas Tree will be lit this evening in the traditional ceremony in Trafalgar Square.

The tree is an annual gift from Norway, thanking the UK for its help to the country during World War II. This year sees the 56th tree to be sent to the capital from Oslo.

Lord Mayor of Westminster, Cllr Jan Prendergast, will be joined by the Mayor of Oslo, Per Ditlev-Simonsen - who will switch on the lights - and the Norweigan Ambassador to London in Trafalgar Square for the lighting.

The choir of nearby church St Martin's in the Fields will sing at the ceremony, which is scheduled for 6.15pm.

This year's tree was felled on Tuesday 25 November in Rausj, near Oslo.

Four other trees, felled after the UK's tree, have been sent to other European cities and Washington.