He may now be officially off duty for another 11 months, but Father Christmas defied the calendar by paying a post-festive visit to a youngster in Higham.

Violet Webb spent much of the festive period at Medway Maritime Hospital after suddenly falling ill with sepsis, and missed a highly anticipated trip to see Santa at Millbrook Garden Centre in Southfleet.

Nan Julia kept in touch with the garden centre who generously arranged for Santa to take a break from his holiday and make the trip to see her.

“I booked tickets when they were released in September because I heard Millbrook was really good,” explained Julia.

“I kept in contact with them and let them know that Violet couldn’t come.

“They said, ‘Let us know how she gets on’ and then they were kind enough to arrange for him to come and see her today.”

Violet was taken to hospital on December 20 and was in and out of the children’s Dolphin Ward until Boxing Day.

Mum Beth said: “She got ill on December 19.

“Then on the 20th she got really ill and she was at hospital until Boxing Day.

“They let her out for Christmas night but we had to take her back every day.”

Despite being treated to gifts from generous locals, the promotion-chasing Gillingham squad, and even kmfm, Julia still wanted her granddaughter to meet the main man or Mr Ho Ho, as Violet insists on calling him.

“We felt that she had missed out on a bit of Christmas,” said Julia.

“At two years old it is the first year when they really know what is going on.”

While the family home in Cuxton was a little too far afield for Santa to reach without his reindeer and sleigh, he was more than happy to stop by Violet’s great-grandparents’ home in St John’s Road, Higham.

Violet was treated to a chocolate bear and a hat made from balloons among other treats, while Julia defied most new year’s dieting regimes by cooking up a batch of festive cupcakes.

The youngster, whose family is originally from Gravesend, was certainly reluctant to wave her special guest goodbye, but she can now proudly boast to her friends that she enjoyed an out of hours visit from Santa, while the man himself can finally settle down to a well earned break.