Des Coleman lights up Warwick Castle Christmas celebrations as tribute paid to the late Queen

ITV Central's Des Coleman switches on Warwick Castle's Christmas Light Trail

Christmas is just around the corner - which means ITV Central's Des Coleman has grabbed his winter woolies and headed to Warwick Castle to add even more sparkle to the festivities.

The castle's Light Trail has been lit up thanks to Des and this year's display features a tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II.

The Queen visited the castle in 1996 and staff say this year's special display is a "really fitting way of paying tribute to that visit and for her long reign."

Speaking of the Castle's 1,000 year history, Liam Bartlett, Operations Director at Warwick Castle, added: "We were built on the orders of William the Conqueror. We were owned at one point by King Henry VIII - so this is a fitting tribute to Her Majesty."

Watch Des switch on the lights with the aid of some little helpers

When asked how organisers ensure the displays get bigger and better each year, they said:

"As soon as we hit January, we will be packing away the lights and we'll be planning next year's light trail. This year will look nothing like the one we did in the first year. So people love it. People absolutely love it."

Organisers say this year's light trail has been designed to be as eco-friendly as possible - with all lights being LED and powered by mains electricity, not requiring a diesel generator.