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Charity Santa pelted with eggs and bottles
10:05am Thursday 13th December 2007
Comments (20)SANTA CLAUS had beer bottles and eggs thrown at him when he was touring Sherburn-in-Elmet.
The Elmet Lions Club is now considering stopping its nightly visits that bring Santa to the village, a tradition that has raised money for numerous good causes and delighted thousands of children over the past 13 years.
The fundraising group had taken its sleigh around other nearby villages with no trouble over the past couple of weeks, but three recent visits to Sherburn-in-Elmet have been marred by eggs and beer bottles being hurled at Santa Claus.
Paul Smith, a spokesman for Elmet Lions Club, said: "The trauma that must be felt by young children when they see Santa being pelted with eggs cannot be described.
"If this sort of behaviour carries on, we will have to consider dropping Sherburn-in-Elmet from our run.
"We are this year collecting for Yorkshire Air Ambulance, and so this worthy cause will also lose much-needed revenue because of mindless violence perpetrated by a few idiots who have nothing better to do than assault one of the best loved characters in the country.
"If these attacks are not curtailed, Sherburn-in-Elmet will get the Christmas it deserves."
The latest attack took place on Tuesday, when a number of collectors were forced to call the police after the sleigh was targeted.
Officers were called at around 6.30pm to a disturbance in the Beechwood Glade and Highlands area of the village after missiles were thrown by a gang of youths. When police arrived on the scene, the offenders had disappeared. The sleigh was also attacked last Thursday.
A North Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said while the force would be unable to offer an escort to the sleigh, officers would "call in on the route" to deter aggressive youths from assaulting Santa.
The spokeswoman said: "This incident was particularly malicious, targeting people going out of their way for the good of the community.
"The callous nature of this act is unacceptable at any time of the year, but goes completely against the spirit of the season and we would appeal to anyone with any information relating to the incident to phone Selby Police on 0845 6060247."
Your Say YourYork Press
Captain Jack Sparrow, Strensall says...
10:41am Thu 13 Dec 07
Next time, all Santa has to do when this happens is reach deep into his baggy Sac and bring out a couple of Uzi 9mm's. Bye-bye problem.
akuma, York says...
10:43am Thu 13 Dec 07
Then watch the dirty little chavers die slowly and painfully on the pavement from mutliple bullet wounds.
Just an idea.
meggerman, york says...
10:47am Thu 13 Dec 07
Removing there benefits should make them value the eggs they throw a little bit more.
then hopefully with them having an IQ of a Chicken they would eat them raw and contract salmonella
happy christmas
exiled_tyke, manchester says...
10:50am Thu 13 Dec 07
HOBBIT, at work says...
10:53am Thu 13 Dec 07
Jimbo, York says...
10:54am Thu 13 Dec 07
andyb, york says...
11:00am Thu 13 Dec 07
coup, York says...
11:19am Thu 13 Dec 07
Cynic, York says...
11:29am Thu 13 Dec 07
andyb wrote:But it ain't far from Leeds - plenty of work there for those who want to work.
The closures of the Gypsum mine and the Selby coalfield have produced a generation who have no work prospects in their own area.
meggerman, york says...
11:42am Thu 13 Dec 07
andyb wrote:thats not the main reason. It was for Selby. As said all the bad eggs parents (excuse the pun) were originally exported from bad areas in Leeds (cheers LCC) i.e below the poverty line naredowells. There offspring are another dilution of the gene pool moving us into a grey area in human evolution.. who knows what may evolve out of sherburn in the next decade.
The closures of the Gypsum mine and the Selby coalfield have produced a generation who have no work prospects in their own area.
we can only assume they will be wearing leisure gear and have a donkey fringe
Bob hope, York says...
11:55am Thu 13 Dec 07
dragonian, york says...
12:55pm Thu 13 Dec 07
Rachel85, ex pat York says...
1:59pm Thu 13 Dec 07
Miss Amelia Rate, YORK says...
2:21pm Thu 13 Dec 07
Rachel85 wrote:brilliant.
he tried to send them all to rehab he said ho ho ho
PSi, York says...
3:46pm Thu 13 Dec 07
bill and ben, york says...
3:50pm Thu 13 Dec 07
True brit, says...
11:20pm Thu 13 Dec 07
sweeperupper, York says...
7:51am Fri 14 Dec 07
Christmas time,lithium and wine,children indulging in petty crime,dads on the smack,mums on the speed,christmas is ace when your living in Leeds!
Mr-Niceguy, Nottellinyer! says...
11:34pm Fri 14 Dec 07
What a load of liars!
He doesn't exist.
Just another Press reporter trying to get the ratings up by producing a fairytale!
Santa Claus rings his bell on The Elmet Lions Club sleigh
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coup, York says...
10:31am Thu 13 Dec 07
... maybe the fine chavery of Sherman Helmet mistook him for a late kerbside recycling collection.