A team of reindeer will delight children when they tow Santa's sleigh up and down Witham high street on Saturday afternoon.

The four adult and two baby animals will travel down from their home in the Cairngorm mountains of Scotland to pull the sledge, laden with toys, around town.

Grove shopping centre manager Wendy Harlow organised their return because of the huge success of their previous visits.

"They are incredibly popular," she said. "Most children have never seen a real live reindeer, so this is a first for them. To have them here at Christmas, their busiest time of year, is quite a privilege.

"It's worth all the trouble just to see the wonder on their faces."

The reindeer will collect Santa and sleigh from the centre at 11.30am, then parade in Newland Street before returning to the centre.

The animals will be penned so that people can pat them and speak to Santa before a final high street parade at 1.45pm.

The timetable could have caused an embarrassing surfeit of Santas. The Rotary Club's Santa was to have been ho-ho-ing from his motorised sleigh by the Christmas tree in Newland Street until about 12noon.

That would have meant having two Santas in the high street at the same time.

"We realised that two Santas at once could confuse the children," said Rotary organiser Neil Irvine.

"So we decided we should make a tactical withdrawal just before the reindeer Santa comes out of the Grove at 11.30am. It seemed the kindest thing to do."

Rotary Santa toured Witham housing areas this week, and will do so most of next week, with members collecting money for Rotary charities.

They will take along plenty of hefty Santa's little helpers, though, as they have been pelted with snow and mud several times in recent years.

"We could have asked for a police escort, but that sounds so over the top," said Neil, "We want to handle things ourselves."

The Rotary Club Santa will be in Saxon Drive tonight (Thursday) from 6pm, and in the high street from 9am to 11.30am. He will tour the Grove estate from 6pm on Monday, the Howbridge area on Tuesday, the Pondholton and Maltings Lane area on Wednesday, and Witham Lodge and Allectus Way on Thursday.

He will be back at the Christmas tree in the high street on Saturday from 9am to noon.

Published Monday December 13, 2004

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