The Light Ranger: Bishop’s Stortford man Mark Sanders out and about wowing residents in his Christmas lights-festooned Ford pick-up

The Light Ranger is out and about again, putting smiles on people’s faces and raising money for a popular local charity as it tours the streets of Bishop’s Stortford.

Mark Sanders’ Ford Ranger pick-up is festooned with 12,000 fairy lights, and for the past four years he has driven it around town every Christmas-time, drawing admiring glances.

Comments on the town’s Facebook groups included “Legend!’’, “Local Christmas treasure” and gratitude to Mark for giving people a lift.

One mum said her children were cheering and their mouths were open in apparent awe on seeing the coloured lights-clad truck.

Mark told the Indie the four sets of 2,000 lights, four sets of 1,000 lights, 800 Christmas light clips and a very large roll of sticky tape take two days to put on and a day to remove. Then the truck is returned to his everyday run-about for the rest of the year.

“I get a brilliant reaction, people just love it,” said Mark. “It’s nice to see the smiles on their faces.”

Mark raises money for Grove Cottage, the home of Bishop’s Stortford Mencap, and is looking for events to take the Light Ranger to so he can boost the charity’s funds.

His first trip out with it was to The Stewarts, off Great Hadham Road in Stortford, to help brighten up the residents’ annual festive gathering.

Within two days of the Light Ranger going out, nearly £400 has been donated towards his £1,000 target. Last year he raised £1,500. To donate, see Mark’s justgiving page. If you want him to pop along to an event, contact him on his Facebook page.