Hundreds of parents and children cheered their approval as Father Christmas switched on the Christmas lights at Cabot Circus shopping centre in Bristol.

Arriving in a rickshaw flanked by reindeer cyclists wearing antlers and red noses last night, he boomed: "Hello everyone!"

Everyone roared back: "Hello Santa!"

Young children watched wide-eyed as he kept waving to everyone and greeting bystanders.

Before he started the countdown to switch on the low-energy lights, Father Christmas said: "Reindeer, baubles and shiny things, too; Count with me and I will count with you!"

There was a burst of cheers and applause as the lights were switched on and spotlights strafed the mall.

A large reindeer covered in blue LEDs forms the centrepiece in the covered section of the centre, while another looks down from above.

Large dark red baubles were turned on, together with smaller Christmas decorations throughout the centre.

Despite the rain, families and children followed Father Christmas to Quakers Friars, where he opened a German open-air market. His announcement was followed by music from a German oompah band.

Broadmead's trees are decked with large icy blue orbs and dark blue electric canopies are strung between some of the tops of shops in part of the precinct. Thousands of tiny LEDs have been used to create the icicle effects.

The centrepiece in the Podium is a rotating tower covered in lights.

A 35ft high Christmas tree with 2,000 twinkling lights was switched on at The Centre near the Bristol Hippodrome, as were seven blue street decorations draped across Park Street.

Traders paid £30,000 for the new display in Broadmead, while the council has spent £45,000 on enhancing the displays in the city centre and other streets.

The cost of the display in Cabot Circus, which uses 127,000 LEDs, has not been disclosed.

Destination Bristol operations director John Hirst was asked to commission Christmas lights after last year's display was disappointing display last year.

He said: "This is something new and completely different. We are delighted with the new design."

There have been no overhead lights since 2006, when a fixing for a display broke, raising health and safety fears.

The LEDs weigh much less and are thoroughly tested before being switched on.