A rather distressing rumour has reached me, one that is apparently circulating around primary schools in the Bradford area. It is obviously a blatant lie, an insidious untruth that nefarious individuals for reasons best known to themselves have decided to propogate.

And it is this: That Father Christmas doesn’t exist.

The notion is, patently, ridiculous, but as an honourable, professional journalist of 23 years’ standing it behoves me to fully investigate these claims.

Question is, how do you exactly prove the existence of Father Christmas when it’s just obvious to all and sundry that any questioning of his validity as a real entity is just nonsense?

First, I thought, he’s bound to have a PR department. With a global brand like he’s got he’d need some pretty whip-smart spin doctors. I tried Googling Father+Christmas+PR but just came up with a load of results for companies that were trying to muscle in on his territory. Huh, they’ll be getting a lump of coal in their stockings later this month.

Then I had a brilliant idea. Everyone who’s anyone is on Twitter, right? I mean, even The Pope joined Twitter this week. And, lo, a cursory search did indeed find the @OfficialSanta account set up by the jolly red giant himself!

So I sent Santa the following tweet: “Journo request here: I’m doing a piece on pernicious rumours that you’re not real. Can you tweet me back a comment please?”

There was no reply, though I could see some activity on Santa’s Twitter feed, so I tried again: “Any joy on that comment, Santa? I’m on a deadline here.”

A few minutes later Santa “favourited” my tweets! So there was someone there! I didn’t want to rush him too much, of course – after all, he’s a busy sort of guy at this time of year.

Still, a deadline’s a deadline. I don’t want to end up in front of the next Leveson inquiry, but this was a story that needed to be told. So I tried again: “One line, just to say you’re real. For the kids. I’m being leaned on for my copy here...”

And Santa replied. For real. You might want to show this piece to your kids, maybe get them to take it into school for those smart-alecks who go around saying there’s no Father Christmas.

SANTA CLAUS SENT ME A TWEET.

And here it is: “#HoHoHo Well of course I’m REAL… The presents don’t deliver themselves you know...”

So there you have it. Father Christmas took time out from his busy schedule to exclusively reveal to the Telegraph & Argus what we all knew anyway: He’s real.

And it’s only 18 sleeps to Christmas, so you’d better start being good out there...