Elf and safety: Santa's knee ban not our fault

Some grottos have outlawed the age-old tradition of boys and girls climbing up on to the lap of Santa to tell him their Christmas wish list, blaming 'safety reasons'.

The move has been made on the back of advice from Safe Network, a safeguarding group run by the NSPCC and Children England.

Ho, ho, no! Santa's knee is off limits to children for 'safety reasons'

But furious Samantha Peace, the Health and Safety Executive's divisional director for the West Midlands, said today: "I read with dismay the story in the Express & Star about children being banned from sitting on Santa's knee at a department store for 'health and safety' reasons.

"The decision is nothing at all to do with workplace health and safety regulations which are designed to stop people being injured or made unwell by their work.

"I would urge the store to be clear with visitors about the reasons for its decision, and not hide behind 'elf and safety'. This is just another example of why the Health and Safety Executive set up its Mythbuster Panel – to challenge rulings which have no grounding in health and safety law."

Safe Network states on its website: "It is recommended that children stand when talking to Santa or sit on a seat placed alongside Santa." It adds Santa and his assistants should not invite children to sit on Santa's knee and concludes: "Some children may wish to sit on Santa's knee and even clamber on: If it is the child's wish it may be allowed with the parent's consent."

Beatties in Wolverhampton has banned children from sitting on Santa's knee, while others in the region have put out stools. House of Fraser, which runs the landmark Beatties store in Victoria Street, had drawn up its own policy in accordance with the Safe Network recommendations.

Fergus Wylie from House of Fraser added: "It is purely an individual decision made by the Wolverhampton store for safety reasons. Each store that runs a grotto makes its own decision on how it should be run."