Oxford Street and other areas of Central London such as Bond Street and Piccadilly due to "pickpocketing, fraud and theft". The advent of closed-circuit television has reduced the area's attraction to scam artists and illegal street traders. Every Christmas, Oxford Street is decorated with festive lights. The tradition of Christmas lights began in 1959, five years after neighbouring Regent Street. There were no light displays in 1976 or 1977 because of economic recession, but the lights returned in 1978 when Oxford Street organised a laser display, and have continued every year since. Current practice involves a celebrity turning the lights on in
St Michael's Street, Oxford the prison reformer Felicia Skene (1821–1899), located at 34 St Michael's Street. St Michael's Street, Oxford St Michael's Street is a street in central Oxford, England. It runs between New Inn Hall Street to the west and Cornmarket to the east, with Ship Street almost opposite. Northgate Hall is located here. Also to be found off the street is the debating chamber of the Oxford Union, a leading student society in the University of Oxford. Vanbrugh House at No. 20 is of particular architectural note as being ""almost a parody of Blenheim"" according to Pevsner. There is a blue plaque,