'Terrifying' Santa advice dropped

The government has withdrawn warnings about scary Santas

Warnings about frightening pantomimes and "terrifying" Santas have been taken down from an official website for teachers.

The website had warned that children might be upset by some traditional aspects of Christmas entertainment.

But the Department for Education and Skills has taken down the advice - saying it was not official policy.

And the department issued a statement expressing its support for a "traditional British" Christmas.

The advice, published on the government-backed Teachernet website, warned that Christmas events, intended to entertain children, could backfire if young children became upset.

'Irrational fears'

This included a warning that the red-suited, bearded figure of Father Christmas could scare young children.

"Younger children in particular have a wide range of fears, many of which seem completely irrational to adults," teachers were advised.

"Many children dislike the dark or crowded rooms, so be sensitive to this if you are planning some atmospheric lighting.

"For very young children, Father Christmas can be terrifying, and if you are planning a visit from Santa, you'll need to make sure that fearful children are near an exit.

"Trips to the pantomime can cause alarm, so the same planning applies," said the Teachernet advice.

This cautious approach to Christmas was condemned by Margaret Morrissey of the National Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations, who warned that it could deprive children of their enjoyment.

"It is so sad that we have become so politically correct that we are trying to remove the magic of Christmas," said Ms Morrissey.

But the government has now intervened by removing the warning and issuing a statement asserting that: "We fully support the traditional British Christmas."

And it distanced itself from the Christmas advice, which also included suggestions for non-competitive party games, by saying it was not government policy or produced by the education department.