THE Friends of Willersey School refused to let the magic of Christmas fade by delivering an 11th-hour female Santa on a tractor.

All 53 of the children at the tiny Willersey Primary School got a present after the company that had been booked to provide a virtual Santa and gifts.

Mum Lucy Bearcroft harnessed the power of social media and dashed off to the shops to get the gifts which had to then spend time in quarantine, making for a race against the clock.

The school secretary then did her bit as an elf, frantically wrapping to ensure the festive visit went ahead.

And there was wide-eyed wonder when Santa rocked up on a left-field mode of transport – fresh from a field.

Mrs Bearcroft said: “At 11.40 on Friday, we were told the company we were using could not send the presents or video.

“I just said ‘We’re not having that’ and cleared the shelf at The Range – it was like something out of Supermarket Sweep.

“Usually we spend about £1.50 per present and it is quite difficult to find 53 things at that kind of money.

“The school secretary wrapped them and I put out a plea on Facebook. I convinced one of my friends to be Santa and Beverley Daffurn at the Ironing & Laundry Service in Willersey offered to pay for the hire of the suit.

“The kids raised a lot of the money and we are waiting on our refund for the original plan – we had one year six leaver who did a sponsored silence earlier this year and so many of them put so much into it.

“Normally we have an elderly gentleman from the village gets dressed up and acts as Santa at the Christmas party we’d normally throw for the kids but as it was, Father Christmas in the rain on a tractor while social distancing worked pretty well in the end.

“The secretary said if she could have bottled their excitement she would have done.”