Last Christmas, Stanley in County Durham proudly unveiled their £10,000 metal Christmas tree which, when lit, put a very modern twist on the traditional town Christmas tree. However, within one hour of its unveiling, safety officials began removing the tree because it was transmitting a voltage that was approximately 10 times the safe level and would have given a lethal electric shock to anyone who touched it.
Stanley residents will be pleased to know that their tree will take pride of place in the town centre this year after it was safely rewired.
Durham County Councillor Carl Marshall said, "Basically, the tree was live. It was not safe to be where anybody could touch it but there was no time to get an alternative. So it was switched on, with the general public at a safe distance, then switched off after one hour and taken down. Since then, it has been repaired so that it is no longer a danger. It had to be rewired."
The tree was allowed to have a maximum voltage of 24 volts, but Stanley's metal tree was running at 240 volts. Thankfully, due to the rewire, residents of Stanley can sleep sound knowing they won't get a nasty shock round the Christmas tree this year.
