There has been a delay in installing this year's lights

Managers at the Broadmead centre say the number of lights currently up is only 15% of last year's figure, prompting complaints from shoppers.

"There has been a delay in installing the lights, because a fault was identified in one of the lighting fixtures," a council spokesman said.

But councillor Richard Eddy said it was a "...classic council bodge".

John Hirst, Broadmead manager, told BBC Radio Bristol: "We started planning for Christmas in February.

The cross-street displays will be replaced with displays in some existing trees across Broadmead Bristol City Council

"Last month, there was a change in plan because of health and safety issues; you can't argue with that.

"A recovery plan has been put in place by the council and we hope to notice an improvement soon.

"It is not good news and shoppers and retailers are all commenting," he said.

Mr Eddy, head of the Conservative opposition group at the council, said the council needed to back Broadmead.

'Scrooge-like'

Tory Leader Councillor Richard Eddy, who last month slammed the Lib Dem-run Council's "scrooge-like" decision to slash festive lighting by 20%, was highly critical.

Cllr Eddy said: "This latest blunder makes you wonder whether the council is competent to run a whelk-store, let alone a great city like Bristol."

The council spokesman added: "It was an unexpected fault as the lights and fittings had been tested earlier in the year.

"It is not possible to thoroughly retest the fixtures of all the lights in good time, so the council took the difficult but correct decision to protect the public by making alternative arrangements.