FOR those of you who think Father Christmas is in Lapland, well he's not, he's in Hellifield and has been for the past 25 years.

For two-and-a-half decades Tom Constantine has brought endless pleasure to young and old through dressing in his Father Christmas outfit and attending parties and functions in the surrounding villages every Yuletide.

As well as lugging his sackful of toys to Long Preston play group, Hellifield Social Club and local schools and dropping into parties at Johnson and Johnson in Gargrave, Tom has hand-delivered gifts to children in the village.

"Parents would give me presents which I would deliver to the houses and give to the children on Christmas morning. They loved it," he explained.

"One Christmas morning I got attacked by a small terrier which was witnessed by the local vicar. He found it so amusing that he mentioned it during his sermon.

"Another time I was spotted by local sports coach Roger Ingham who asked me to deliver a Christmas present to Sarah Dugdale, a girl he used to train in the village."

Another thing Tom would do was go into the Working Men's Club at midnight to wish everyone Merry Christmas.

For as long as he can manage it, Tom will continue his "other life" and bring smiles to people's faces each Christmas.

"I'll carry on as long as 'im up there lets me," he exclaimed.