Christmas Grinch on the loose in Te Awamutu ruining light displays

The Christmas lights sitting along the fence at Lexie Ellise's property were ripped or cut last Wednesday. Photo / Caitlan Johnston

A Te Awamutu woman is asking the person who ruined her Christmas light display to consider how families and children may feel from them doing such a thing.

When Lexie Ellise, mother to three children, left for the gym late last Wednesday night the Christmas lights along their front fence were going.

When she got home they were out.

"It's really sad, we were about to buy more to put up but I don't know if we will now."

Her children really love them, says Lexie.

Lexie and her partner have put lights all over the house as well as the fence line and they have already been up for over a month.

It was the lights along the fence line that were ripped or cut and pulled apart.

"It's a big thing for us that we love doing. My mum lives around the corner and she has all her lights up as well – she's just lucky her house is more off the road," says Lexie.

Lexie says an act like this causes disappointment, puts out the spark of Christmas spirit and may prevent others in the community to put lights up.

"It's been such a rough year and we just thought it would be fun for the kids," says Lexie.

This is not the first time their Christmas light display has been ruined – a couple of years ago at a different property they faced the same thing.

Lexie made a post to the Facebook page, A Better Te Awamutu and Surrounding Area's Grapevine, to warn people.

On that post another member relayed that their Christmas light display had been cut twice and their solar panel for the lights was taken.

And another member offered to fix the wires for anyone who had their Christmas lights ruined.

"That was really nice of him and restores some good," says Lexie.