Image copyright Bro FM/Dan Moffat Image caption Gavin and Stacey is returning for a one-off Christmas special in December

A town has had its Christmas lights switched on by one of its most famous residents - Gavin and Stacey's Nessa.

Actress Ruth Jones visited her television character's old stomping ground - Barry, Vale of Glamorgan.

The Bafta-winning show, about a long-distance relationship between a girl from the town and an Essex boy, was last screened in the UK in 2010.

In May, it was announced it would return for a one-off Christmas special this year.

Image copyright Bro FM/ Dan Moffat Image caption Gavin and Stacey was filmed in Barry and Essex

Over the summer, stars of the show, including Jones, James Corden, Rob Brydon, Matthew Horne and Joanna Page, were spotted filming scenes for the Christmas special in Barry.

Addressing the crowd in character, she shouted her well-known lines: "Ow" and "What's occurin'".

She added: "Cracking to see you all tonight… have you got nothing better to do?

"Oh, there's some lookers out here tonight, a few exes in the crowd here I can see."

Principal tourism officer for the town, Nia Hollins, said: "Having Nessa turn on the lights was very special and she was a huge hit with the crowd."

Gavin and Stacey, which was co-written by Jones, won best comedy performance at the Baftas in 2008.