Handcuff Present for Not So Jolly Father Christmas

LONDON (Reuters) - Squeals of delight quickly turned to screams of horror when children saw police dragging a Father Christmas away in handcuffs in an English seaside town.

Police in Great Yarmouth said the Father Christmas was in fact a street trader who got involved in a brawl with a member of the public who objected to him selling one pound ($1.45) presents from a sack.

``It was extremely upsetting for the young children to see Santa being nicked and handcuffed,'' police sergeant Steve Parsons was quoted as saying by the Daily Telegraph Friday.

``A lot of them thought he was going to be put in jail by the police so he would not be around to bring them presents on Christmas Day. We handcuffed the Santa because he was being quite aggressive and he had to be controlled. He was certainly not being very jolly.''

The man was later released after being cautioned for a public order offence.

-- St.Nick (North@Pole.Net), December 09, 2000