|PIC1|Tenor Andrea Bocelli and the St Paul’s Cathedral choir led crowds in an attempt to stage the biggest carol singing event in the world last night.

Bocelli led the attempt in London’s Leicester Square where crowds had gathered to see the stars turn out for the premiere of Disney’s new animation film, A Christmas Carol, while the choir sang from the steps of St Paul’s.

Large screens were put up at the two venues as well as on Oxford Street and Regent Street to coordinate the crowds in the carol singing.

Celebrities at the premiere included Jim Carrey, who is the voice of Scrooge in the new movie.

He said: "It feels great to be a part of all this tradition.

"I want to thank the people of Britain for the legacy of Charles Dickens and the chance to tell this story. This story couldn't be more important now - it's about the immorality of greed."

Carrey was on Oxford Street earlier in the evening to turn on the Christmas lights, while British actor Colin Firth turned on the lights on London’s other main shopping street, Regent Street. Last night was the first time that the lights were illuminated on the two streets simultaneously.

On Monday, TV personality Suzanne Shaw was out with Dickensian themed carol singers around Potter’s Field in central London to celebrate the launch of the A Christmas Carol computer game for the Nintendo DS.

Ecclesiastical Insurance launched a national competition last month to revitalise carolling after recent research found that the public was becoming increasingly negative about door-to-door carol singing.

In a YouGov survey commissioned by the church insurer, 29 per cent of Britons said they did not want carol singers to come to their home while a further 19 per cent said they would not answer the door if carol singers knocked.

The church insurer has teamed up with ChurchAds.net to run the Christmas Factor competition, which invites people to compose a new carol in the Christian tradition.

Christian Aid is encouraging Christians to get together from 11 to 13 December and sing to raise more than £100,000 for people living in poverty around the world. The aid agency leaves it up to individuals to decide where they want to hold their Big Christmas Sing, from the local hall, a house, church, or out on the street.