Crowds gathered in London's Trafalgar Square to witness the annual switch-on of the Christmas tree's lights on Thursday evening (December 5).

Norway has gifted Trafalgar Square a Christmas tree every year since 1947. This year's has been widely criticised for its appearance, with it being dubbed "sad", "drab", and the "most anaemic tree possible". Others have said "it's the thought that counts" and "you don't deride a present".

The Lord Mayor of Westminster Ruth Bush, who helped saw down the tree in Norway, can be heard in this footage defending it, "it is not weak, it is not sparse, it is a Norwegian spruce and that's what it looks like - so you're going to have to adjust your mind, doubters, because this is a beautiful tree"

Crowds gathered in London's Trafalgar Square to witness the annual switch-on of the Christmas tree's lights on Thursday evening (December 5).

Norway has gifted Trafalgar Square a Christmas tree every year since 1947. This year's has been widely criticised for its appearance, with it being dubbed "sad", "drab", and the "most anaemic tree possible". Others have said "it's the thought that counts" and "you don't deride a present".

The Lord Mayor of Westminster Ruth Bush, who helped saw down the tree in Norway, can be heard in this footage defending it, "it is not weak, it is not sparse, it is a Norwegian spruce and that's what it looks like - so you're going to have to adjust your mind, doubters, because this is a beautiful tree"