Santa is to get a bodyguard in Tipton this year when a fundraising sleigh takes to the streets because of fears stone-throwing yobs will attack him.
A security steward will be tasked with tackling yobs during the annual cash raising event.
Father Christmas will be taking to the streets later this year, as part of Tipton Community Association’s annual charity appeal.
But in years gone by the small band of collectors, and Father Christmas, have come under fire from gangs of yobs, hurling stones and other missiles at the convoy.
They have also suffered verbal abuse.
Now on every outing the group is planning to have four collectors, one driver and a security steward as well as Santa, to ward off the yobs.
Barry Whitehouse, president of the Tipton Community Association, said: “We have had problems in the past with the yobs so we decided to bring an extra person in. It is just a safety measure we have put in place.”
The group’s sleigh has been touring the streets of the town every Christmas for a number of years, collecting charity cash.
The motorised sleigh has flashing lights and Christmas music. The collections start on December 4 and run every evening through to December 23.
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