The whole of Huddersfield is being urged to turn their lights out and look up to the stars.

Mark Harrison launched his Huddersfield Lights Out campaign on Facebook in January and he wants homes and businesses across the town to plunge into darkness.

The big switch-off will take place at 10.30pm on Sunday September 25. It was initially hoped to organise a public event at Castle Hill where people could scan the horizon – and the sky – to see the impact of the lights going out.

However, despite having the support of Kirklees Council, organisers just ran out of time to get all the permissions in place.

Mark plans to go up to Castle Hill himself, and while the site is accessible to the public, he stressed there is no official event taking place. There will be a live stream on the ‘Huddersfield Lights Out’ Facebook page.

Mark said: “It all started with a very simple idea to see how light pollution is blotting out the night sky and from a comment on Facebook it has become a group with 4,000 members.

“We were talking with Kirklees Council and they were very much on board but we just ran out of time to organise an official event on the date we had set.

“All the groundwork has been done, however, and we have a small team working towards making an event happen in May or June next year.”

Castle Hill by: Fran Wilson Photography

As for this Sunday, Mark is urging everyone to take part by simply switching their lights off at 10.30pm and turning their heads to the night sky.

People are invited to take photographs and share them to the Facebook group. There will be prizes of a cake, treats and cookie dough for the three best images chosen.

Mark added: “The response of the public has been amazing and people have told us it’s got them thinking about light pollution, the night sky, space and astronomy – something they had never thought about before.

“I just want to prove that light pollution is real and we would love to see if everybody turning their lights out will make a difference.

“Everyone should take a moment to look up at the night sky, give their eyes chance to focus and see what they can see. They might just be amazed.”

As the lights go out on Sunday there will also be a tribute to mark the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Remembering the wonderful day the Queen came to St George’s Square on her last-ever visit to Huddersfield