FATHER Christmas has hit out at encroaching political correctness.

Geoff Loynes, who has spent 26 years playing the part of Santa, is worried that the essence of the festive season is slowly being damaged by repressive politically correct doctrine.

Mr Loynes, 73, the Woodchurch museum curator and a popular figure around the village, is upset the real message of Christmas is being replaced by what he sees as a harmful suspicious nature.

He said: "Basically, it’s a nuisance. It gets in the way of people like us being Father Christmas and doing our job.

"We are discouraged from picking up the child and putting them on our knee, unless we ask the mother to put the child on our knee."

Mr Loynes, who lives in Bilsington, added: "I’m not looking to put the child on my knee, but if the mother wants it I’m happy to do it.

"We are discouraged from having enclosed grottos and we must have adult gnomes as witnesses. They are taking the fun out of Christmas."

Mr Loynes, an experienced character actor who has appeared in a U2 video and recorded a mobile phone advert for Japanese TV, says he started to notice political correctness creeping in about two years ago.

It coincides with a drop-off in TV appearances in this country where once he was a regular at Christmas time.

He said. "We all have police checks, but this political correctness implies that being nice to children is somehow threatening."

He claims that he and many of his fellow Santas, are "all frightened" of political correctness and where it may lead.

One of his regular treats is to send festive postcards to children in Woodchurch, where he lived for many years.

He fears that some time in the future PC doctrine may dictate that he is not allowed to have their addresses.

"I’m worried about political correctness. It breeds resentment and prejudice."