DHAKA: An Australian family has reclaimed their Guinness World Record by stringing up more than half a million Christmas lights around their suburban home.

Guinness World Records official Chris Sheedy confirmed on Monday that the Richards family of Canberra set the record for Christmas lights on a residential property with 502,165 twinkling bulbs.

The family first entered the famous record book in 2001 with 331,038 multi-coloured lights. But they were trumped last year by a family in LaGrangeville, New York, who illuminated their home with 346,283 lights.

The Richards home with its lights on more than 50 kilometres of wire in suburban Forrest will be open to the public from the weekend to raise money for charity.

BDST: 1314 HRS, NOV 25, 2013