It was a tense and sad moment as Santa's grotto went under the hammer for charity.

The grotto has been a regular sight at Booth's Supermarket, Leeds Road, Ilkley, and on Saturday more than 30 people attended the auction of Santa's seasonal home.

Estate agents Dacre, Son & Hartley followed the correct auction procedure as they advertised the sale on the front page of the Ilkley Gazette's Property Section last Thursday.

The small wooden chalet was a sought after prize as the bidding finally ended at £275.

The new owner, Philip Croft, of Addingham Moorside, even added an extra £25 on the auction price to bring the total amount to £300.

The £300 will now go to supporting hospices in Lancashire and Yorkshire, which is Booths' charity of the year.

Dacre, Son & Hartley Associate Director and auctioneer Ian Briggs said: "The bidding went fast and furiously to begin with, there was a great response and it went very well.

"The winner Philip Croft will be taking it to his home in Addingham for his children.

"I usually auction houses and the bidding in this was very competitive, but this is the cheapest house I have auctioned."

Manager of Booths, Pete Holroyd said: "There were bids from about 30 different people. It has been in the store for about 18 months and we are sorry to see it go."