A FARM in Devon has been decorated in Christmas lights to help raise money for two vital charities. 

The family who live at Crossways Farm in Bratton Flemming, near Barnstaple, decorate the farmhouse and tractors to raise money for Devon Air Ambulance and North Devon Hospice. 

The lights are up from December 10 until New Years Eve, and then the money raised is counted and donated. 

Martin Thorne, who lives at the farm with his partner Laura, his mum Pam and his Dad Brian, said they started opening up their light display to the public four years ago.

"My mum is Christmas mad," he said.

"Growing up she has always put a lot of lights up, and she started decorating tractors, sheds and so on. This year we built the sleigh - each year the display grows. 

"It has become a Christmas tradition now, everyone asks us when the lights are going up. We run a wood fuel company here, and so we get people coming in and buying logs and people start asking.

"We get a lot of people visiting the display, but it is weather dependent. If you’ve got a nice night then we have more people – there were ten cars the other night."

Martin explains that they also used the dectorated tractors to take part in the Anstey Young Farmer's Tractor Run, which also raised money for Devon Air Ambulance this year. 

"In farming, you never know when you need an air ambulance," added Martin. 

"We also chose North Devon Hospice, as we’ve had  a lot of family members with cancer. It is our way of saying thank you for what they have done."