THE Hornchurch Christmas Cracker is set to provide an evening of festive cheer with bands, carol singers, dancers and circus skills performers on Friday (December 10).

As part of the celebrations children aged between five and 11 can take part in a competition around the town centre.

Prizes include a Mongoose BMX bike from Hornchurch Discount Cycles, tickets to see the Christmas panto Aladdin sponsored by the Queen’s Theatre, a Christmas hamper from NatWest, and meal vouchers from Nandos, Sweet Store, and Hamiltons.

The Christmas Cracker event is supported by Waitrose supermarket.

Twelve shops in the town centre display a numbered Christmas Cracker on their window. All children need to do is to write down the name of the shop that matches the number displayed on the window on an entry form.

Forms are available from the shops, the Queen’s Theatre and can be downloaded from www.havering.gov.uk.

Forms can be handed in at these venues when completed.

The competition closes at 5pm tomorrow (December 7) and winners will be presented with their prizes at the Christmas Cracker on Friday.

Cabinet member for regeneration, Cllr Robert Benham said: “The Hornchurch Christmas Cracker is shaping up to be a fantastic night of Christmas celebrations with fun for the whole family and loads of brilliant prizes to be won. I hope as many children as possible can take part in the competition and I wish them all good luck.”

The Hornchurch Christmas Cracker runs from 3-7pm in High Street, Billet Lane, Station Lane and North Street and features entertainment, music and late-night shopping as well as treats from Sainsbury’s.

Some of the fun lined up includes stilt walking and balloon modelling by the Roger Arnay Circus Company and Christmas carols by Langtons Junior School, Nelmes Primary and Churches Together.

The Abbs Cross School Big Band will be playing popular songs, and the Havering Youth Brass Band will strike up some well-liked festive tunes.

There will also be swing and jive dancing by the Jive Club, dance, music and poetry by the Brewers Academy Theatre School and soulful saxophone music by East Coast Wind’s roving Saxoclaus.