THE annual festive stalls have returned to the town centre after the national lockdown ended.

The five huts, operated by funfair owner Steven Hill, offer a variety of snacks including German sausages, doughnuts and cheese.

Mr Hill believes the stalls will bring some much-needed Christmas cheer.

He said: “There’s been a lot of negotiations, most of it to do with the government, but we’re in Tier 2 so we’re allowed to operate.

“We’ve been working with the authorities and with inSwindon to get it going and it’s something we do every year.

“I hope people will appreciate it. We’ve had lots of good comments while we’ve been setting up which has been really nice.”

If there was no second lockdown the stalls would have opened sooner.

Mr Hill added: “We would have opened in the middle of November but the lockdown prevented that.

“The loss of those few weeks is devastating when it comes to trying to keep everything going.

“We’re very fortunate in Swindon as we’ve got quite a wide street in the shopping area so people can be safe.

“There’s plenty of people to walk, come along and feel safe.

“So long as they take the precautions and wear a mask then it’ll be fine.

“It’s part of Christmas, it’s what we’ve been doing for years and years and it’s no different to other businesses.

“We need to get back to some sort of normality.”

The stalls can be found at The Parade and Regent Street crossroads.