A Christmas superfan has adorned his house with 90,000 lights for the 20th year in a row - despite vowing never to decorate again after losing his partner.

Paul Bibby, 60, began decorating his home in Chelmsford, Essex, back in 2005 with a single string of lights.

Over the years, he wanted to make each year better than the last - and one string became ten, which became hundreds.

Paul, who is a carer for his son Aaron, 38, became a local celebrity and people would come to take photos of his house adorned with thousands of lights as well as inflatable festive characters.

The display costs over £200 to power throughout December, but he doesn't mind - and encourages visitors to donate to charity too.

In 2024, on his 19th year of decorating, the dad vowed to make it his last - after losing his long-term partner Lynda, two months before Christmas.

But after spending time healing, he has "got his mojo back" and decided to festoon his home after all, for its 20th year."

Not only that, but Paul has found new love - Marie Card, 47, who is a big supporter of his decorations.

Paul said: "I didn't think when Lynda passed away, I would ever want to do the decorations again."

"But now everything has changed. I realised it would be my 20th year and I just went for it."

"People ask how many lights - I don't know for sure, they are welcome to count them!"

"But I think it's about 90,000 and I have to turn on 90 switches every night, as well as inflating all the big characters."

"It's like a full time job but I've got my mojo back."

Grieving Paul raised over £2,600 in donations for Essex & Herts Air Ambulance last year when people came to visit his display.

He said many locally had heard he lost his partner only two months earlier, so also dropped off care packages and biscuits.

He thought at the time he'd never do it again - but he's back for his 20th anniversary of the decorations.

The display takes hours of work each evening turning on 90 different switches, as well as inflating all the characters, and then doing the same in reverse later.

He has even added some additional characters to this year's display, including a Grinch and some penguins.

He said Marie helps him to set everything up each evening and is in full support of it.

He said: "It's one of those things, once you start, you have to carry on."

"This time last year, I felt like I'd fallen off a ladder, I was on the floor of life."

"But I've realised life is full of rungs and you have to take it one rung at a time."

It costs £7-a-day to power, totalling over £200 for the month, but Paul doesn't mind because of how it brightens people's days.

He said: "I love all the little kids that come to the house and take pictures with it."

"I love seeing them all smiling and I give them all candy canes."

"I love being able to take family photos of the parents with their children outside."