An Australian family have broken the world record for the number of Christmas lights put up on a home – for the second time.
The Richards family of Canberra have installed 502,165 lights around their house and garden.
David Richards, a barrister, started work stringing the 48km of wires around his property in early October, giving up every weekend to ensure that he set the world record once again. In 2011 he broke a world record by installing 330,000 lights but he lost it last year to family in New York.
Mr Richards told the Canberra Times that his motivation for giving up so much of his time to string up the decorations was that he wanted to reclaim the record. He told the paper: “I thought 500,000 was a nice, round number, so I decided to go all out because I may never do it again.”
The huge display is expected to attract tens of thousands of visitors and all money raised will go towards a children’s charity – and the lights have already proven to be so popular that one couple has been married under them.
Mr Richards said he bought all the lights himself but he is unwilling to reveal the cost – however, his electricity bill will come in at an extra £1,4000 a month.
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