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Shoppers were given an unsuspected surprise with a salsa-themed flash mob at a festive market. 

Highams Park saw the return of its first major Christmas fair in over two decades on Sunday. 

Hundreds of residents and shoppers visited Signal Walk and the station car park, with many enjoying mulled wine, mince pies, home-made winter suppers and freshly-baked goods. 

The majority of stallholders were local businesses, including The Avenue's new Function Room, Hale End Road's Royal Oak pub, the Grace and Albert cookshop, and Winchester Road's Xylonite Arts.

Independent retailers sold home-made arts, crafts and clothing, while a teddy tombola tookover the Signal Walk.

Other food retailers, grocers and wine sellers supplied crowds by the station.

Steve Herbert's and his mobile disco, the Oasis Roadshow, played Christmas carols and staged performances from soul singer Tina T, Act2Drama School, and Britain's Got Talent finalist, Micky Dumoulin. 

Herbert also organised and participated in the flash mob salsa dance, which took many shoppers by surprise. 

By 4pm, stalls were packed away to make way for a torch-lit cycle parade and Christmas carol singers. 

Darren Lupton, of the Tenants, Residents and Leaseholders Association (TRLA) at Aldriche Way, in Highams Park, said: "It has been an amazing community event which has brought the whole of Highams Park together."

Event co-ordinator Gill Poulter, of the Highams Park Planning Group, said: "This was about promoting Highams Park and encouraging shopkeepers to come here. 

"It has always been easy to do something like this because we have such a strong community and they have always got behind us."

Lili Spain, of Vincent Road in Highams Park and owner of Xylonite Arts, added: "I feel very proud to be a Highams Park-er. 

"This market just goes to show the talent, creativity and community spirit we have here."

Yesterday also saw the launch of Highams Park's first-ever Little Free Library Scheme, with poems read aloud at each of the three mini-library's new permanent homes in Abbotts Crescent, Selwyn Avenue and Handworth Avenue.