'Mr Christmas' hit by credit crunch

A man who has celebrated Christmas every day for the past 14 years has admitted that the credit crunch is having an affect on his celebrations.

Andy Park, 44, has enjoyed a daily roast dinner washed down with champagne since his devotion to the festivities began in July 1994.

The electrician, who is known as Mr Christmas, told The Telegraph that he has since devoured 117,600 sprouts, 5,110 bottles of Moet, and sent himself more than 230,000 Christmas cards.

However, he is being forced to reduce his spending to ensure that his festivities can continue.

"The credit crunch is getting to me big time and I may even have to cut out the champagne and start singing for my Christmas dinner. The lunch with all the trimmings and alcohol is costing in excess of £150 a week, but I'm fighting hard not to let the financial crisis ruin the celebrations," he said.

"I'm not being tight but a few of the little extras are having to go. I'm only having one Christmas tree this year instead of two, and I'm cutting back on the Christmas lights because of energy bills."

Park, who is divorced, explained that he had been feeling glum one day so went home and put his decorations up. "Suddenly I was happy. I thought, this is fun. So I did it again the next day, and the day after that," he said, adding: "People do think I'm crackers, but I enjoy treating myself and I'm the only one in the world who does it. Others have tried to copy me, but they can't last."