A SANTA who was stoned by children as he rode in his sleigh spoke of his ordeal today.

The Father Christmas -- too scared to be named for fear of reprisals -- was targeted by young thugs who threw stones and pelted him with eggs as he toured the streets in his red suit and beard.

As reported in Friday's BEN, the ambush took place as Santa toured Radcliffe on a Rotary Club sleigh raising cash for local charities.

Today the fed-up Father Christmas said: "It was awful. Stones the size of golf balls were bouncing off my beard."

Santa was saved from injury because many of the missiles -- hurled by a 12-strong gang of boys aged between 12 and 15 -- missed or bounced off his white wig.

Eggs also splattered against his car-pulled sleigh and left his red and white costume needing a clean. The relentless attack lasted several minutes.

Youths ran into a local shop for more ammunition and one lad even tried to hit Santa with an inflatable hammer.

Father Christmas said: "It was a consistent attack and the youths involved should be ashamed of themselves."

Santa's bad luck was compounded shortly after the attack when he slipped off the Radcliffe Rotary Club sleigh and fractured his elbow.

Club members are now considering scrapping the charity tour, which has raised thousands of pounds and provided Christmas magic for Radcliffe children for more than 20 years. But today Santa vowed to return as soon as he was fit enough.

"We all give our time for free and some people have been put off by this," he said. "But I won't let them stop me coming back."

Two years ago, police had to provide outriders to guard Santa after he was attacked as he toured an estate in Little Hulton.

Local community leaders were so upset they provided marshals last year so the tour could go ahead in peace.

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