CHRISTMAS may have been saved in Wantage, but town councillors are now looking for compensation from the careless driver who almost ruined it.

Mayor St John Dickson has vowed to seek reparations from the motorist who ploughed into the town’s Christmas lights display, knocking it down the day after it was switched on, and damaging a parked car.

The lights which hung over Wantage Market Place and which had collapsed onto the town’s famous statue of King Alfred were lifted back into position earlier this week.

Police said they had “spoken to” a motorist from the Newbury area on suspicion of failing to stop at the scene of an accident and suspected careless driving in Wantage, but as the Oxford Mail went to press, they said no arrests had been made.

Mr Dickson said: “Christmas was almost ruined by this one stupid person.

“In the scheme of things it was a lot more important to get the lights back up for the residents, but if the police catch this guy we’ll be looking to get the money back from him.”

In the town’s time-honoured tradition, it was Mr Dickson himself who turned on the town’s Christmas lights at the annual Wantage Dickensian evening on Friday night.

Dressed in Victorian regalia, in front of hundreds of local families he was joined by Wantage MP Ed Vaizey to flick the switch and herald the arrival of Christmas in the town.

But the festive spirit was marred when, at 10pm the very next night, a careless driver destroyed the display.

The motorist being hunted by police allegedly hit a parked car and ricocheted off that and into one of the poles holding up the blanket of lights above the Market Place, before driving off.

Mr Dickson said: “Some foolish person came round the square, obviously far too fast. He hit a car outside the newsagents then bounced off that and went across the road into one of the poles holding up the lights, bringing the whole thing down.”

He said the act of vandalism was even more annoying because this year’s Dickensian Evening had been the “best ever”.

He added: “It was outstanding and a fantastic success.

“I have never seen so many people there before. There were some great shows, the rock choir was great. Hopefully we can get all the lights back up and running.”

Thames Valley Police said a driver from the Newbury area had been reported for suspected failing to stop at the scene of an accident and careless driving in Wantage.

Spokeswoman Hannah Jones said “A vehicle collided with a car and with an electrical unit in Wantage and left the scene.

“It was a damage only collision, however, some Christmas decorations were damaged and a bollard was bent as a result and blocked the entrance to the car park.”

She said the motorist had been seeb by police and the investigation into the crash was ongoing.